Musou No Jutsu: Redux
by Bronx Shogun
Summary: Rewrite of the original NarutoxDynasty Warriors crossover.
1. Prologue: Mission to the Three Kingdoms

**Musou No Jutsu: Redux**

**Summary:** NarutoxDynasty Warriors crossover. Orochimaru, having mastered a Jutsu that allows him to travel through time, arrives in 2nd Century China, where the Age of the Three Kingdoms is about to begin. In order to stop the Sannin, Zuo Ci sends Naruto and his team to the Three Kingdoms after him. Here, a new tale begins.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the rightful property of Kishimoto Masashi, and Dynasty Warriors is the rightful property of both Chinese history and Koei-Tecmo.

* * *

Prologue: Mission to the Three Kingdoms.

_**All things are Yin or Yang, created from two essences.**_

_**The world of men is ruled by the Mandate of Heaven's will.**_

_**When the Mandate is absent, Kingdom's collapse, and a turbulent age begins.**_

_**Man turns against man, war, disease and famine ravages the lands.**_

_**Cities and civilizations are destroyed, the divine rule falls.**_

_**In times of turmoil and disorder, great people rise to claim the Mandate's favor, for either good or evil intentions.**_

_**However, calming this disharmony is the mission of the one chosen by the Mandate.**_

_**Fate now calls forth a new hero…**_

* * *

Standing before the Hokage monument, Tsunade, the fifth Hokage of Konoha, gazed up at the stone carvings of the four village leaders that had gone before her. Each man had faced many a great challenges in their reigns, from the first Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and his rivalry with Uchiha Madara, to the fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and his sacrifice during the battle against the Nine-tailed Fox. Now, just two and a half years after becoming Hokage, she now faced two threats: Orochimaru's Sound Village, and Akastuki.

While she had heard nothing from the mysterious organization, the news of her former teammate and friend was hard for her to take as serious. Though the same could be said about the strange elderly man that stood beside her. Dressed in an all white Chinese robe with Taoist symbols and Chinese characters on it, and his white hair styled into an odd funnel-like shape, the old man's matching colored beard and mustache complemented his wrinkled facial structure, even the strange purple tattoo over his right eye didn't seem to diminish the air of confidence and wisdom about him. His arms were folded by his back; in his hands were five red cards.

"How do I know your information regarding Orochimaru is reliable?" Tsunade asked the elderly man suspiciously, "You do understand that I don't have the time to waste on practical jokes, right?"

Never turning his head to the woman, the old man spoke, "I understand your mistrust Lady Tsunade, yet we have little time on our side before it is too late. Your trust in this is required."

"But of all the forbidden Justus, Orochimaru learning this _one_ is virtually impossible."

"You know Orochimaru well, do you not? His ambition will drive him forward to any means he can grasp. All the more reason why he must be stopped."

"I understand that, but why ask for _them_ to do this? It'll take a Sannin to defeat a Sannin. Or are you unaware of who we are."

"I know of the Sannin's reputations, I know what you and Jiraiya are capable of. But there is a reason for this, as there is a reason for the crisis this world finds itself in. Have patience, and everything will be clear in due time."

She opened her mouth to speak, yet Tsunade couldn't find the right words to say. _Reason? What reason is there to put three teenagers on a suicide mission?_ The attack on the village by the Sand and Sound ninja's years ago had left Konoha with about half its fighting strength, forcing many younger and inexperienced Genin to accept potentially dangerous missions. Yet here came this man with one that was well beyond the requested team's abilities. _What are you thinking?_

"_Oi Baa-Chan_! Sorry to keep ya waiting!"

"_Baka_ Naruto! Show some respect!"

_Whack!_

"Ow!"

"…_idiots_."

Tsunade and the elderly man turned around just as four other people appeared from the staircase behind them. In the middle was a blue eyed boy with spiky blonde hair and whisker shaped scars on his face, dressed in an orange and black jump suit. He was soothingly rubbing the lump that had formed on his head, thanks to the pink haired, green eyed girl to his right, wearing a red sleeveless vest and pink apron like skirt over her black shorts.

Standing behind them was another boy with raven black hair and equally dark eyes, he was wearing a light blue shirt with long white sleeves and blue pants that stopped just above his ankles, a short sword was strapped at his lower back. And a little farther behind the three youngsters was an older looking man with spiky white hair dressed in the traditional Konoha Jonin attire, though, from what the old man notice, he wore his forehead protector in a way that covered his right eye.

"Sorry we're late," The white haired man said, "I fell asleep while reading and lost track of time."

Tsunade sigh, "Some habits are hard to break I suppose; anyway I have a new assignment for your team Kakashi." She gestured to the old man beside him, "Team 7, this is the client for your new mission. His name is Zuo Ci."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance young ones," The elderly man, Zuo Ci, said as he gave the young ninjas a respectful bow at the waist. He stood up to his full height before letting his gaze fall on the young blonde, "you must be Uzumaki Naruto, correct?" Naruto's blue eyes widened in surprise, not expecting the old man to know who he was. Before he could say anything, Zuo Ci spoke again, this time to his teammates, "And I take it you two are Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura."

"Uh…yes we are." Sakura bowed, momentarily stunned by Zuo Ci's knowledge of them, "We heard that you requested us, even though that's not usually how our system operates. Is there anything we can do?"

Zuo Ci did not answer her immediately; instead he shut his eyes in concentrated thought. Searching in his mind for the right words to explain the situation to them, "The one known as Orochimaru has undergone an operation that needs my intervention," He finally said as his eyes snapping open, allowing the youngsters to see a bit of unnatural wisdom in them, "recently he had mastered a new Jutsu, a forbidden one at that. For it allows the user to travel through time."

"Travel through time?"A skeptical Sasuke asked, "Are you serious? I never heard of-"

"Hence why it is forbidden." Zuo Ci interrupted, "Long before the creation of your village, a group of Shinobi created this Jutsu to travel through time, it is possible that they had wished to alter history in their favor. Fortunately, they were stopped before they could do any harm to the timeline, and the Jutsu was made forbidden to prevent a catastrophe.

"However, Orochimaru has found this technique, and has used it to travel back in time through Chinese history." He let gaze fall on the four Ninja before him, "Tell me, have any of you heard of the book called _**Romance of the Three Kingdoms**_?" A single hand shot up in the air, and everyone turned to see that it was from the silver haired Jonin, who was holding a small book in his hands.

"I've read it a few years back, though I got bored with it rather quickly and had to stop reading it." Kakashi said, tearing his one visible eye from his book before he returned it to his pocket and walked up to his team, "Just wasn't my cup of tea."

"Why am I _not_ surprised?" Sakura said sarcastically, earning a snicker from Naruto before she turned back to Zuo Ci, "What does that have to with the mission Zuo Ci-San?"

"Orochimaru has used this same Jutsu to travel back into the Three Kingdoms era of ancient China." Zuo Ci answered. "I am unclear of his intention, but what is certain is that his presence here threatens the entire timeline. This concerns all of you as well."

Naruto crossed his arms in thought as he looked on at the old man, studying him. He didn't seem like he was lying, but he couldn't exactly buy what he was saying. Previous encounters with the Snake Sannin had cost the village much, including the life of the Third Hokage Saurtobi Hiruzen. There was no doubt in his mind that Orochimaru was dangerous, and yet, he couldn't be certain about this, it was, after all, hard to believe some stranger that an enemy was going back through time.

"Don't trust me little one?"

He was pulled out of his thoughts, Zuo Ci's kind and gentle eyes beaming down at him, "Uh, no it's not that's. It's just difficult to really believe what you're saying."

"My thoughts exactly," Tsunade said bluntly, "Zuo Ci, I don't doubt that you know what Orochimaru is capable of, but what proof, _if_ there is any, do you have to support this threat?"

"Physically, I have no proof," Zuo Ci answered unwavering, "but, for the sake of us all, I need your trust." He raised one of his hands from behind his back, holding three cards before the younger ninjas, "If you accept my request, then I shall send back to the Three Kingdoms era, where you will find and serve under these three individuals, hopefully giving you the assistance and resources to find and stop Orochimaru."

Naruto and Sakura took two of the cards from his hand, Sasuke, though reluctant at first, decided to go along with it for now and took the remaining card from him. All three of them glared at the cards in their hands, each one with the picture of a different man, "Naruto, the man in your picture goes by the name Liu Bei, founder of the Kingdom of Shu." Zuo Ci informed him, "He is a descendant of the Imperial line before the Three Kingdoms began but was born a commoner, and yet he is a virtuous man with the respect and love of the people at his side.

"Sasuke, the man you will serve is Cao Cao, who would lay the foundation for what would be the Kingdom of Wei. He is a cunning military leader, a brilliant politician, and a man of great ambition. His desire for conquest knows no bounds." He continued, "Sakura, your leader is Sun Jian, known as the Tiger of Jiangdong whose sons would go on to found the Kingdom of Wu. Like Liu Bei, he cares greatly for his people, thus he will not jeopardize the well being of his soldiers recklessly."

_He's really serious about this, isn't he?_ The Hokage thought mentally, she shot a quick glance at Kakashi who was now standing about two steps away from his team, his eye starring back at her. He probably knew what she was thinking, and he felt the same way she did about this. "Alright Zuo Ci, if what you say _is_ true, then Team 7 will be assigned this mission."

"My thanks Lady Tsunade," Zuo Ci said with a respectful bow, "I cannot say how far Orochimaru is in his plans, so we must leave at once." The three cards Naruto and the others were holding flew out of their hands, they were then joined by two others that appeared from behind the sage and started circling the young Ninjas.

"Well that's new." Kakashi said with some amusement of the trick.

"Wait a second! You're not coming Kakashi-Sensei?" Sakura asked, confused on why their teacher was remaining behind.

"Technically, Zuo Ci requested _you_ three, meaning this is one mission you'll have to do this one without me." He answered, "I'm not worried though, you three have come a long way, as long as you remember to work as a team and think before acting, you'll do fine."

"Don't forget, your target in this is a _Sannin_. I'd rather not have you fight against him by yourselves." Tsunade added, a hint of worry creeping into her voice, "But if this old guy has faith in you, then so do I. Good luck."

"Are you ready young ones?" Ci asked as the cards continued to pick up speed.

Sasuke, though suspicious at first, started feeling that this old guy might be on to something, "Let's do it."

"I'm ready too." Sakura also said determinedly.

Zuo Ci turned his head to look at Naruto, a mixture of concern and determination was in his eyes, "Don't worry, whatever Orochimaru has plan, we'll stop it for ya!"

The Sage allowed himself a smile, "Very well then, let us be off." All five cards started glowing with a blinding white light that consumed the four of them and forced Tsunade and Kakashi to shield their eyes. It soon faded, and the two of them opened their eyes to see that Zuo Ci and the others had vanished from where they were just moments ago.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Tsunade heaved, "Kakashi, in the event that what Zuo Ci said is true, I'm having you and several other Jonin scout the Country of Fire for any whereabouts of Orochimaru's hidden bases. If there's any way that we can help your team from here we'll do so. Understood?"

"_Hai_." Kakashi nodded before vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

The first thing Naruto could remember was the blinding light all around him before he threw his arms over his eyes, after that he had no clue what had happen, all he knew was that he wasn't in Konoha anymore. His once familiar surroundings were replaced with a country dirt road that over looked a hill to his right, while to his left was what looked like a rice patty field.

"That was actually kinda cool, huh guys?" He asked, yet his question was only met with utter silence, "Sasuke? Sakura-Chan? Zuo Ci-San?" He looked around, only to realize that his companions were nowhere in sight, "Huh? Where did they go? I could have sworn that…"

He raised a hand to rub the back of his head, confused about the whole situation. "What the...Where's my headband!" He shouted frantically as he placed both hands on his head, wondering what had happened to it. He soon realized that that wasn't the only thing that had change about his attire. He now wore a perfectly fitted gold chest plate over a dark green shirt with gold lining and matching green trousers, dirt brown boots and a light green sash tied around his waist with the Leaf Village emblem on both ends.

Naruto stared at his new clothing in silent awe, not sure how he had changed into this, _Was it that old guy? How did he-_

Distant cries shook him out of his thoughts; he looked straight down the hill, and at the distance was something that struck him to his very core. Hundreds of people, set up in huge columns, marched at one another with several banners raised. Countless screams filled the air, as flames and black clouds of smoke spread all around from nearby houses set ablaze.

"That's…that's a massive battle..." Naruto said, eyes wide as dinner plates as he continued to watch, "I've never seen so many people fighting like that before. Damn it old man, what the hell do you want me to do?"

_**The one known as Liu Bei is down there…**_

"Huh, Zuo Ci-San?"

_**He is in trouble now, there's no time to waste Naruto! Go****!**_

"R-right!"

Without a second thought, the blonde kicked off his feet and charged downhill towards the gigantic battle. His heart racing with each step he took towards it. He had no clue what was going to happen, or what Zuo Ci wanted him to do. Still, he had a mission start and he was going to do just that.

* * *

**Preview:**

**Naruto:** Let's see, I guess that Liu Bei's guys are the ones in green, but who are the guys in yellow? Ah, who cares, I can take 'em all on!

**Next Time:** The Three Brothers.

**Naruto:** Uzumaki Naruto, here to save the day! _Dattebayo_!

* * *

**Last Words from the Shogun:**

So this took like, what, a few months to finally do? Whatever, this chapter of Redux pretty much covers the first two chapters of the original, and I guess one-third of the third chapter from a certain point of view. With this the _MNJ _series is now officially back and better than ever! So keep in touch with your favorite Shogun as I will be working on this story, and don't forget to review.

Okay then…I guess that's it for the _Last Words _for now. See ya.


	2. Chapter 1: The Three Brothers

**Musou No Jutsu: Redux**

**Summary:** NarutoxDynasty Warriors crossover. Orochimaru, having mastered a Jutsu that allows him to travel through time, arrives in 2nd Century China, where the Age of the Three Kingdoms is about to begin. In order to stop the Sannin, Zuo Ci sends Naruto and his team to the Three Kingdoms after him. Here, a new tale begins.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the rightful property of Kishimoto Masashi, and Dynasty Warriors is the rightful property of both Chinese history and Koei-Tecmo.

* * *

Chapter One: The Three Brothers

Screams of the dying were all around him as the field of battle was consumed by a thick cloud of dirt, kicked up from beneath the many shifting feet. His sense of direction disoriented, the man breathed in deeply and turned his head to the sides, his eyes were alert, ever watchful for an impending attack. A lone attacker, dressed in simple farmer's clothes and a yellow cloth around his head, suddenly came at him from his left, a simple farming pitchfork in his hands.

The green armored man managed to sidestep just as his attacker swung his improvised weapon in a downward swipe. He then drove a hard kick into the man's side, throwing him off balance before he plunged the sword in his hand into the man's gut. The attacker screamed in pain as he released his weapon, the pitchfork falling harmlessly to the ground. Its wielder soon there after in a pool of his own blood.

_So many people are senselessly losing their lives…_ The green clothed man thought sadly, the top inches of his blade coated in a red liquid_. This madness has to stop before it's too late!_

"Die scum of the Han" He turned around sharply, and found a horde of yellow cloth wearing enemies charging at him, brandishing swords, spears, and other farming tools.

With a frustrated grunt, he raised his sword before him, prepared to meet them head-on. The lead soldier was just a yard away from him when a blur suddenly zipped by him, flying towards the attacker with what looked like a hard kick to the face, sending him flying back into several of his comrades.

The remaining soldiers, stunned by what just happened, stopped in their tracks and stared at the sudden interloper. Like them, the man in green was also perplexed by his unexpected savior. He was a mere boy, no less than fifteen if he had to guess, with wild blonde hair, dressed in green just as him. The boy turned his head to him, and he noticed his striking blue eyes and strange whisker like scars on his face.

"You must be Liu Bei," The boy asked, throwing him a wide, cocky grin, "you all right?"

The man, Liu Bei, hesitated for a moment, taken aback by his actions, and by the wide grin that screamed of confidence, "Yes, thank you for coming to my aid."

"He's just another of the Han's lapdogs!" Getting back to his feet, the lead attack growled furiously as he shot a death glare at the boy, blood dripped from his nose, indicated that it was broken, "Kill them both in the name of the Yellow Dragon!" Roaring with one voice, the soldiers surged forward towards Liu Bei and the boy.

Liu Bei raised his sword up once again and was about to run forward, but the young lad suddenly raised his arm in front of him. "Don't worry, I got this." He said just before he put his hands together, forming a cross with his fingers.

'_What is he…_

"_**Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!"**_

A thick cloud covered the boy, and forced the oncoming enemies to stop their mad charge. The cloud soon gave way, and the young warrior was in clear view once more. Only this time, much to Liu Bei's as well as the enemies' surprise, he was now flanked on either by at least six other duplicates of himself. The attacking enemies were completely shocked, for many of them had now began taking several freightful steps back, "Wha…what magic is this?" Suddenly all seven lookalikes charged forward into the confused and stunned enemy force, many of them falling to their strange small knife like blades and star shaped projectiles that Liu Bei had never seen before.

A horn sounded off in the distance, bringing Liu Bei out of his stupor. He looked around the battlefield to see that the enemy force were now starting to flee, while most of his own troops were chasing and cutting many more of them down. He turned back to the boy, who now stood over the fallen enemy troops-some dead and others severely wounded-and watched in awe as his doubles instantly vanished in small dust clouds.

The boy turned to Liu Bei once more, his wide grin ever present on his lips, complementing his cheerful features, "That sure was a close one. But it looks like you'll live to see another day."

Returning his sword to the sheath strapped to his side, Liu Bei clasped his hands together and bowed at the waist, "I know not who you are young warrior, but you have my thanks for saving me this day." He said politely.

"No problem," The boy replied happily, returning the bow with one of his own, "actually, I came all this way to fight alongside you. If you don't mind of course."

"Not at all, after witnessing your feats here, I would be honored to have you by my side." Liu Bei said as he turned around and walked off, "Come, we shall rejoin my brothers and return to camp." Smiling, the young lad followed behind him.

* * *

"Brother! You're safe!"

By the gates leading into the army's camp, Liu Bei and the boy spotted two other men standing there. One of them was a giant of a man fully covered in green clothing and some armor, yet his most astounding features were the long bladed halberd in his hand, his fiery red skin and long, beautiful black beard. The other matched him in height, yet he seemed far more muscular, as evident from the part of his shirt that exposed his arm and chest. In one hand, he held a spear with a blade that was bent in several places that he rested on his shoulder, while in the other he held what looked like a jug with the Chinese character for 'wine.'

"My apologies brothers, I didn't mean to worry you." Liu Bei said, "Had it not be for this young one," He gestured to the boy, "I would surely not have made it out alive."

"Well, as long as you're all right, I guess I can't stay made at ya." Said the muscle man, as he took a swig from his jug, "Who's the Cat face anyway?"

"…_Cat face?_" The boy muttered in silent fury, "_Who the hell you calling a Cat face?_"

"Ah that's right." Liu Bei spoke, unaware of the boy's fury, "Forgive me young one, I never got the chance to know your name."

His anger diminished for now, the boy turned to Liu Bei with a wide, albeit embarrassing smile, "Oops, guess I never got to introduce myself." He laughed sheepishly, "Anyway, my name is Uzumaki Naruto. Pleasure to meet you."

Liu Bei raised a curious eyebrow, that was quite a strange name he had. He shook it off and bowed his head respectfully, "It's a pleasure to meet you as well Naruto, I am Liu Bei, commander of the volunteer forces for the Han Imperial Army. These are my brothers."

"I am Guan Yu," Said the bearded man with a bow of the head, "you have my thanks for rescuing Brother Liu Bei."

"Ha! He don't look so tough!" Barked the muscle bound warrior rudely, "Brother, you sure this kid saved ya?"

"Ya damn right I did!" Naruto shouted back, "Who the hell do you think you are anyway?"

With a smirk, the man took one last drink of wine and stood tall before the boy, "I am Zhang Fei of Yan! The more I drink, the stronger I become!" He gloated. "That's who I am! So show some respect, _Cat Face_!"

"Brother Zhang Fei, please." Guan Yu sighed, "I'm sorry Naruto, but our brother enjoys drinking as much as he does fighting, much to our dismay."

"Yeah I noticed," Naruto moaned, watching as Zhang Fei took another drink, "I'd give you more respect if you didn't reek of alcohol so much, _Boozehound_." Zhang Fei let out an irritated growl to the nickname, but Naruto merely shrugged it off and turned back to Liu Bei. "Anyway, what's going on around here? Who were those guys that attacked you?"

To this the three brothers stared at the boy confusingly, bringing about an awkward silence for a moment before Liu Bei spoke up, "You haven't heard of the Yellow Turban Rebellion?"

"Uh, well…" Naruto hesitated, trying to find the right words to say, "I haven't really…"

_**You are from a village isolated to the north…**_

_Huh?_ The sudden words rang in his ears, his eyes tearing away from the others, _Was that…_ He shot his eyes back to the brothers, all three were looking at him for his response, "I am from a village in Northern China." He quickly said with a chuckle, "We're pretty isolated from the rest of the country up there, so we rarely get any news. The only reason I know of you was from all the gossip I've been hearing from people in my travels."

"I see, that explains it." Guan Yu spoke, though he sensed something else that Naruto wasn't telling them. Yet he decided not to press on the matter for now. "It's unfortunate that you set out from your home in such difficult times."

"Guan Yu is right; the land is in dire straits." Liu Bei said, "The enemies we fought back there are part of a growing rebel army known as the Yellow Turbans, led by the fanatic Zhang Jiao. They rebel against the Han Dynasty due to the corruption in the government, a just reason I admit. Yet they only bring chaos to this world, killing innocent people, destroying countless villages, bring suffering to everyone they encounter!

"When the Turbans attacked my village months ago, I decided that enough was enough! I made an oath of brotherhood with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and took up my sword to defeat the rebels, restore the righteous ideals of the Han, and bring peace back to the land!"

With wide eyes, Naruto found himself dumbfounded by the man's words. He had only just met him and his brothers, yet he felt moved by his words and the conviction behind them. He had known a few people back in Konoha that made him feel this way: Inspired by mere words, comfortable being in their presence, and above all, happy to have been associated with. And yet, there was something else about Liu Bei, something he couldn't fully comprehend. Regardless, it made him feel quite at ease.

"That's real moving and all, but can you do it?" Naruto asked, more out of intrigue than skepticism.

"Ya thinking we can't?" Zhang Fei barked before Liu Bei could answer, "If ya can live long enough, you'll see that we'll bring these Turban punks down no problem!" He took yet another drink from his jug. "Just try not to slow us down _Cat Face_!"

"You're the one who'll slow us down _Boozehound_!"

* * *

Night had fallen over the camp, the only illuminations of light coming from either the stars above or from the campfires set up by some of the soldiers who were taking the nightshift. Naruto, now an official officer in Liu Bei's volunteer army for his deed in the last battle, laid across his bed, staring up at the ceiling of his tent, the lit candles that stood on the table beside him his only source of light.

His mind was racing a minute with a thousand questions, questions that he probably wouldn't get answers to soon. It was hard for him to get his facts straight when everything occurred so fast, one moment he was in the village-his own time period-eagerly anticipating his next mission along with his teammates and friends. Then before he knew it, he found himself in the past thanks to the mysterious Zuo Ci, almost right in the middle of a giant battle no less.

_Zuo Ci-San, I don't understand what you what me to do. Where did Orochimaru find this Time Travel Jutsu? Where is he now? _He had already come to the conclusion that Sasuke and Sakura had been sent somewhere else in the land, he should have assumed that the three lords wouldn't exactly be in the same place at once. _Still, I wonder if Sasuke and Sakura-Chan have found those other guys yet. I mean, I found Liu Bei during a battle, so I assume they were close to their targets, right?_

"Are you awake young one?" Naruto pulled out from his thoughts just as the giant figure of Guan Yu pushed back the flaps of his tent and walked in. The blonde suppressed a laugh when he noticed that the older man's head nearly scrapped the ceiling. "Sorry if I'm intruding, but I thought that you might need this for the future." He raised his arm before Naruto, clutched in his hands was a sheathed sword.

Naruto immediately shot up to a sitting position and took the sword from his hand. The hilt and scabbard were a beautiful sky blue, exactly like his eyes. _I'll take that as a complement._ He thought amusingly, pulling the sword from its scabbard completely and raised it upright to examine it. The doubled edge blade was stainless steel, and appeared, if he had to guess, to be about 25 or 26 inches. It took him a second glace of the hilt to notice the yellow tassel attached to the its pommel.

"A _Jian_," Guan Yu said, already expecting the blonde to ask what kind of sword it was, "a simple sword by most standards, yet this particular one was made of the highest quility. I felt that it would suit you well."

"I love it!" Naruto said enthusiastically, raising to his feet and giving the weapon a few twirls of the hand to get a better feel. "Thanks Guan Yu." He bowed his head to the red skinned warrior, "So what do we do now?"

"A messenger arrived from Imperial General Huangfu Song a few moments ago; he'll be expecting us and other Han Loyalists to meet with him at his central plains outpost in three days." Guan Yu answered, "With the Yellow Turbans crushed out here, we'll begin the march tomorrow afternoon, we should get there in half the time that way." He turned towards the tent flaps and stepped out, "Get plenty of sleep Naruto, we'll see how well you truly fight in the near future."

Nodding, Naruto returned his new sword to its sheath and placed the weapon at his bedside before lying back down once more. He already knew that he was going to get to like Liu Bei and Guan Yu…though Zhang Fei, who he now dubbed 'Boozehound' was a different story.

_Damn fucking drunk…_ He thought bitterly of the oaf, _I don't get why I have to serve Liu Bei. Wouldn't it have made more sense to track Orochimaru down as soon as we came?_ The more he thought of it, the less chance he had of figuring it out. With a yawn, Naruto shut his eyes "I guess…I'll figure it out in the…_morning_..." He mumbled before drifting into unconsciousness.

* * *

For several centuries, Luoyang has served as the capitol of the Han, the dynasty that had risen from the ashes of Shi Huangdi's Qin Dynasty. Peace and prosperity had followed in its wake for more than 400 years. Now, not only was it threatened by the rebelling Yellow Turbans, but another, more powerful enemy lingered in the shadows-merely waiting for his time to strike.

Under the cover of the night sky, a cloaked figure quickly and quietly moved through the empty city, skillfully bypassing the various Imperial troops that patrolled the streets. He carefully made his way through the housing district of the city, only the faint sounds of a few snoring denizens could be heard. He turned sharply into an alleyway, and spotted the door of a run downed, one room house to his left. He approached the door and silently knocked on it once before it slowly opened inwards, allowing him to walk in before it closed shut once more.

"Forgive my tardiness sirs," He said politely as he pulled off the hood over his head, revealing his glasses, white hair, and headband with a musical symbol engraved in it, "the patrols seem to be increasing almost every night."

Two other people were seated at a small table across the room, the lone candle illuminating their features. "That can't be helped, I suppose." Hissed the white skinned, long black haired man, his piercing yellow eyes gazing at the younger male before him, "What news do you have Kabuto?"

"The Eunuchs have approved your plan once the Turbans of been dealt with." Kabuto said, "They will begin secretly sending funds our way first thing tomorrow, as well as expecting _compensation_ for the effort."

"I find it tedious that I have to ask for permission from those idiots." The snake like man sighed, "If the first stage of my plan didn't require their good favor with Empress Dowager, I would have gladly fed them to my pet snakes." At that, a giant snake slithered underneath his seat, quickly curling itself around his leg with a sinister hiss.

"If I may, Lord Orochimaru," Spoke the man next to him, concealing the bottom portion of his face with the black feathered fan in his hand, "those old fools may hold great power for now, but there are many officials in the government-great and small alike-who disapprove of their policies. After all, _they_ are the ones who turned the government into their own little plaything. Once these people turn against the Eunuchs, they will be of no further use. Until then, we must endure the stupidity of the situation."

Orochimaru chuckled, "Yes, milk their stupidity for all its worth, and then toss them out like the garbage they are. I like your way of thinking." He continued to gaze at Kabuto, who seemed to have something else to report. "Anything else?"

"Well…" The white haired ninja hesitated for a moment, contemplating on whether or not say it. He let out a hard breath and continued, "There is a matter that I don't think is quite urgent at the moment, but I felt that I should bring it to your attention regardless."

The snake Sannin stared at him curiously for a minute before asking, "What is it?"

"One of our spies from the volunteer armies sends word. Commander Liu Bei had recruited a new officer earlier today: Uzumaki Naruto. I've also been told that his teammates have been spotted in other areas of the land." He replied, expecting his master's reaction to the news.

Kabuto and the other man noticed the Sanin's gripped on his armchair tightening, a few small cracks in the wood filled in the stunned silence, "…How did Konoha know of my new jutsu so quickly!" Orochimaru said angrily, a snarl twisting itself on his pale features. The man beside him let out a shrewd luagh, and Orochimaru threw him a quick death glare. "Don't you dare laugh Sima Yi, this concerns you as well!"

Pausing in his laughter, Sima Yi turned to face his lord's glare of furriousness with a calm and unmoving smirk, "My lord, an unexpected outcome though this is, we still hold all the cards. This Naruto and his friends know not the size and strength of the forces you brought with you, nor do they the number and status of the supporters we have at our disposal. My brilliance has ensured that your ninjas are well hidden and organized across China, and my own men our scouting out potential new allies as we speak.

"In short, we have nothing to fear from a small group of teenaged imbeciles. Besides," The smirk across the man's face grew wider, "from what you told me of this one boy, Uchiha Sasuke, this seems like the perfect opportunity for you finally achieve this so called _Sharingan_."

Kabuto stared down at the Chinese mastermind intensely, a hateful scowl smeared on his face. He knew exactly what his master wanted to hear, but what Orochimaru failed to see was that he was playing him for a fool. Though only a few days into his service of the Sanin, Sima Yi had already proven to be quite the genius he boasted to be. Yet at the same time, deceptive. He cared little for Orochimaru's dream to master all known Justus, and even less about his desire of Sasuke's Kekkei Genkai.

In the end, the strategist wanted only one thing from his master: Power for himself.

"Yes, your right Sima Yi." Orochimaru snickered, "Kabuto, have some of our best ANBU to keep an eye on Sasuke, his skills will certainly attract the attention of some power hungry warlord. I might be able to use that to my advantage."

"Understood Orochimaru-Sama," Kabuto nodded, "and what of Naruto and Sakura."

"My spies will keep them under watch as well for the time being," Sima Yi said, "there's no need to take any drastic measures just yet; in fact, we should let _them_ handle the rebellion first, and if they _should_ prove to be a significant obstacle to our plans, we shall deal with them effectively."

* * *

**Preview:**

**Sasuke:** Cao Cao, I hear that he is a great man, a man capable of leadership in both peace and war, with servants of great skills in battle and politics. Well he certainly looks the part, I'll give him that. But I'd rather see him in action.

**Next Time:** Hero of Chaos

**Sasuke:** I can only hope you live up to my expectations, Cao Cao.

* * *

_**Review Reply Time!**_

"Why hello there everyone, Pang Tong is the name, and I'm hosting the first _Review Reply Time_ segment of the story. Basically, each chapter a different character from the story will come here at the end to respond to the reviewers. So without further delay, let's get this started."

"_Nice to see the MNJ series coming back to life. This chapter is much better than the original, and shows promise for chapters to come. I hope to see an update soon, and look forward to it eagerly." _**-Zen Phoenix**

"Aren't rewritten versions _always_ better? Well…I guess it depends."

"_Hey thanks for restarting this story, loved the first and I hope you meet my expectations of making the remake much better" _**-jubei zankage**

"A little pressure for good ol' Shogun should be good for him, and in more ways than one in his case. Hahaha!"

"_Finally the remake is out. I liked the original Musou no Jutsu but I'm eager to see what the remake has in store. Keep up the good work." _**-SpartanNaruto607**

"He didn't tell me and the rest of the cast too much about it, just enough to warrant a remake. Hmm, I wonder what he has in store for me this time around."

"_WHO0! I love your work I don't normally review unless it's really good so yeah update soon" _**-B Guy**

"Well all right! We must be doing something to get you to do that. Whatever it is, we'll just have to keep at it."

"_Shogun, I read your MNJ and I think I have my own in my head. So, please let me create my own MNJ. example :(Musou No Jutsu X)" _**-wildwriter**

"…Uh sure, Okay."

* * *

**Last Words from the Shogun:**

I would just like to say that the above segment is for entertainment purposes, as well as answering all questions you might have all at once, and should not be considered part of the actually story. Thank you.


	3. Chapter 2: Hero of Chaos

**Musou No Jutsu: Redux**

**Summary:** NarutoxDynasty Warriors crossover. Orochimaru, having mastered a Jutsu that allows him to travel through time, arrives in 2nd Century China, where the Age of the Three Kingdoms is about to begin. In order to stop the Sannin, Zuo Ci sends Naruto and his team to the Three Kingdoms after him. Here, a new tale begins.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the rightful property of Kishimoto Masashi, and Dynasty Warriors is the rightful property of both Chinese history and Koei-Tecmo.

* * *

Chapter Two: Hero of Chaos

The camp was awashed in a sea of blue as countless soldiers kept busy under the late morning sun, the banners overhead fluttering sharply in the breeze. Guards stood at the front of entrances while archer stationed on watch towers kept their eyes on the horizon, cooks prepared the meals for the troops and rations for the long march, smiths sharpened the blades and arrowheads and polished the shields, armor and helmets.

From his hilltop command post, the warlord looked down at the soldiers under his command; his blue regal robes complemented him, as well as his black beard and goatee, his hair kept in place by the oriental headdress that he wore.

A lone scout moved up the hill to the man's side, he dropped down to one knee, clasped his hands together and bowed before speaking. "Lords Xiahou Dun and Yuan have returned from their patrol." He reported, "They also have someone with them, they said he may be of use to you."

"Really…" Turning his head to the scout, the warlord gazed down at him with intrigue to his words, "Bring them up here at once, I will determine this newcomer's worth myself."

"Yes milord!" With a final bow, the scout shot up to his feet and proceeded back downhill. Leaving the warlord to ponder on what his most trusted warriors have brought him.

* * *

_**One hour earlier**_

Two men on horseback rode down the dirt road, behind them marched a few dozen blue clad soldiers, their spears gleaming in the sunlight. To the left was a man with short dark hair and a beard of the same color, he sported a slick, and slim robe with classical Chinese designs that easily draped his build. In his grip was a curved blade that he rested on his shoulder. The warrior beside him was adorn with blue armor and a helmet that, excluding his bearded face, covered his whole head. An iron club was strapped to the bags on his steed's side, yet he wore a bow and a quiver of arrows on his back.

As the small group approached a stone bridge—their camp off in the distance—a lone figure walked towards them from the other side, stopping in his tracks halfway across and forcing the grouped to a halt. The stranger was a boy in his teens, with dark raven hair and eyes. He was dressed in a sleeveless dark blue vest, matching color pants, and what appeared to be a simple blue sash wrapped around his waist.

"Out of the way boy, you're blocking off members of the Imperial Army." Ordered the curve blade wielder, yet the youth did not respond. "Did you not here me? Get out of our way! We don't have time for games."

"Likewise," said the boy dryly, "My name is Uchiha Sasuke; I've traveled all this way to work for your lord Cao Cao, and I wish for you to take me to him. _Now._"

"You don't go making demands to us kid." Spoke the helmeted warrior as he reached for his bow. But the man beside him raised his arm in front of him. He lowered his bow and turned to the two soldiers behind him, "You two get him outta here!"

The two soldiers nodded and marched forward, their spears raised at Sasuke, "You heard General Xiahou Yuan, move it!" The first one ordered as he reached a hand to him. What happened next was almost impossible to keep track of: Sasuke grabbed the soldier by his arm and flung him over his should to the ground. He then turned to the second one, and planted a hard snap kick to the man's mid-section before he could react, the force of the blow knocking him to the ground.

The sight sent shock waves through the remaining troops; they broke formation and circled around their officers, waiting for them to give the word. Xiahou Yuan, however, let out a low whistle at the feat. "He's got some moves." He laughed, "Brother Dun, this kid seems serious. What do ya wanna do?"

Xiahou Dun remind silent, staring at the youthful warrior with an intense glare. After a moment of silence, he dismounted from his horse and began moving up to Sasuke, curved blade still resting on his shoulder, "Not bad boy, you're certainly not a common urchin. But still, you're nothing special to me."

"How about I prove you wrong then?" Keeping eye contact with Dun, Sasuke reached for the sheathed sword at his back. He slid the weapon out and held it before him in a reverse grip, the single edge blade gleaming in the sun light.

At the sight of the sword, Xiahou Dun ran forward, quickly closing the gap between them and raised his curved sword up high for an overhead strike. Sasuke, surprised by the man's sudden speed, rolled to the side of the blade before coming at him with his own weapon, which the man easily dodged.

Sasuke then swung from the left, but Dun brought his weapon up and blocked it, yet the boy unleashed another trio of slashes, forcing Dun to take a few steps back. The Uchiha then ducked down and swiped at his feet with a wide kick, knocking the warrior onto his back.

Dun grunted in anger, wincing at the slight pain from the pebbles that dug into his back. He looked to see Sasuke bring his sword down on him, he brought his leg up and drove his foot into the boy's chest, knocking him back. Quickly he rose back up to his feet and swung at the boy with an upward slash of the sword.

Sasuke easily swatted the attack away with his own weapon, but suddenly Dun came at him again with a flurry of quick and lethal slashes. Sasuke was barley able to dodge the attacks, when one was aimed for his legs, he cart wheeled over the attack and landed on his feet, only to be hit in the face with a roundhouse kick from Dun.

The force of the blow sent him spinning though mid air before he hit the ground face first, an intense pain running through his face as he quickly rolled onto his back to see Xiahou Dun, coming at him from mid air, sword raised for another, and perhaps fetal, overhead swipe. The young warrior quickly rolled to the side just as Dun came crashing down; he then jumped to his feet and swung at Dun's right shoulder, his single edge blade cutting through the fabric of his robe and into his flesh.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Dun attacked Sasuke again with another series of slashes, Sasuke did his best to dodge the attacks, yet one lucky strike from Dun hit him across the chest. He staged back just as Dun charged forward, aiming to slice him in half. Sasuke regained his balance and brought his weapon up, blocking Dun's attack. With his weapon grasped in his right hand, he curled up his left hand into a fist and struck at Dun's face with a quick jab.

Dun Staggered back for a moment, and Sasuke used this chance to rush forward and aim his weapon for the man's head. Suddenly a single arrow flew out and embedded itself in the dirt between the two warriors. Dun—recovering from the blow-turned his head to find that it belonged to his brother Yuan, his bow held tight in hands. "No need to go overboard Brother Dun." He said cheerfully, "I think this kid's proved himself. Let's bring him to Cousin Cao Cao and see what he thinks."

Both fighters were panting hard, dirt and sweat covering their faces; they turned their eyes to one another for what felt like a decade. The older man then scuffed and began walking back to his horse, "Let's go kid."He said harshly, his back to the boy.

Without a word, Sasuke returned his sword to its sheath just as the troop continued their march. He slipped in between the steeds of Dun and Yuan, much to the former's dismay._ He defiantly doesn't like me_. the youth thought.

* * *

Sitting at the end of the long table in his command tent, Cao Cao's eyes looked on at the young warrior that sat before him. He could see the rip on the boy's vest where his cousin's had hit him, and the bruise on his cheek from the man's kick, and yet the boy—Uchiha Sasuke, he called himself—seemed to had treated it as nothing more than a mere scratch. Interesting, he thought, he could tell that this lad had suffered far worse.

"Xiahou Yuan has told me of the battle between you and Xiahou Dun, I'm impressed you were able to hold your own against him." He said, studying the look in Sasuke's eyes. He seemed so…fascinating, "Dun is one of my most fierce fighters, most people your age would have fallen to his blade much more quickly."

"I'm not like most people." Sasuke said coolly, he sat across from the warlord, studying the man. He looked confident and intelligent, just as Zuo Ci had told him, and yet there was something else about him. Though he didn't know what it was, "I guess I should apologize for roughing your best soldier up, huh?"

"The thought never crossed my mind," Cao Cao said with a smirk, "Sasuke, though I have just met you, I can see the untapped potential within you. That is something rarely seen in one so young. Tell me, why do you wish to serve me?"

"I've heard you were someone who could get things done—a man whose not afraid of the mindless people who run the government. I wanted to see it for myself, and if it was right, I felt I could help you along the way. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Then…you heard right. I hold a good position within the Imperial Court, yet I have no intention of letting my career end there. First I will crush this rebellion, allowing all those to know the name and power of Cao Cao. And here you are before me, wishing to aid me in my efforts for this land. Do you think you can serve me well?"

"If you don't _feel_ that I can't, you can always get that Xiahou Dun guy's opinion. Though I don't think he'll vouch for me."

With a chuckle, Cao Cao stood up from his seat and made his way around the table before he stood beside the black haired youth, "May I take a look at that weapon of yours?" He requested, his eyes on the weapon with curiosity. With a slight nod, Sasuke unsheathed his sword, raising it to Cao Cao and handed it to him. "Interesting sword boy, the blade only has a single edge," He said as he examined the sword thoroughly, "Mostly suited for cutting actions if I had to assume."

"It can impale a man completely through just as easily, sir." Sasuke told him, keeping his eye on him in the event he turned his own blade against him. Yet the moment never came. _Am I expecting him to do something?_

"Very well then," Cao Cao announced, handing Sasuke back his sword, "Uchiha Sasuke, you are someone who will be of use to me and my ambitions. I would be honored to have you as one of my allies."

Sasuke stood up from his seat, returning his weapon to his sheath before bowing to his new master, "I won't let you done, my Lord."

* * *

The sun had begun to set over the far off hills, bathing the sky above the camp with a beautiful orange glow. Sasuke watched the sunset from outside his new tent with his arms folded over his chest, his sword hung on the weapons rack beside him. He had already been told that tomorrow they would meet with other Han troops in the Central Plains, where the rebellious Yellow Turbans were gathering.

_This is a waste of time; I should be looking for Orochimaru. _He thought bitterly, trying to make sense of the old man's intentions, _Every second we waste, he gets closer to completing whatever plan he has. I don't understand this at all. What's the point of-_

A hard pat on the shoulder knocked the Uchiha Nin from his thoughts, and nearly threw him to the floor in the process; he straightened himself out and looked to see Xiahou Yuan standing behind him. He wasn't wearing his helmet, revealing his dark tied up hair. "Glad to have ya aboard kid," He said with a wide grin on his face, "cousin Cao doesn't let just anyone join up, so I guess he thinks you're somethin' special."

"Thanks for the welcome." Sasuke moaned, rubbing his now sore shoulder, "Say Yuan, when you fired your arrow back there, where you just trying to stop the fight…or kill me? You seem far more skilled with a bow than that."

He received a laugh from the older man; he looked down at the bow with a cheerful expression on his face, "Ya damn right I'm good with a bow n' arrow! I'm the best archer in this whole army, and not to mention an expert in surprise attacks." He gloated with glee, "But really, I had no intention to kill ya Sasuke, I just didn't want my brother to get too beat up before the real battles begin. I mean, Dun can get a little hot headed sometimes, so it's a good thing that I'm-"

"I didn't need you to babysit me Yuan!" Both Yuan and Sasuke turned their heads to see the aforementioned warrior coming their way, the bruise from the Nin's punch earlier was present on his right cheek. He walked past his brother and stood in front of Sasuke, shooting a hateful glare at him, "Our lord may want you here, but your nothing more than a hindrance to me. I have no patience for incompetent weaklings, you'd be wise not get in my way."

"So you _don't_ want me to be with you when you get a sword jammed through your chest? Alright, sounds fair." Sasuke mocked, shrugging off the man's threat. An action that earned him a snarl from the enraged Dun.

"You arrogant-"

"Take it easy Dun!" Yuan intervened, placing a firm hand on Dun's shoulder, "Save that old aggression of yours for the enemy!"

The hateful snarl remained on the man's face as he continued to shot a death glare at the young man. After a minute or so, he and Yuan turned around and walked off, leaving Sasuke to watch their retreating backside. "I'm not gonna get along with that guy." He mused. "Oh well, it's not like I went back through time just to make friends."

* * *

Hidden in the shadows, two figures watched as the young Shinobi walked off into his tent for the night. Masks covered their faces, bearing what looked like a musical note engraved into a metal plate on their foreheads.

"_I'll keep an eye on him, you report to Orochimaru-Sama_." The first figure ordered.

"_Hai."_ Nodding, the second figure instantly disappeared in a cloud of smoke. His destination: his master's temporary hideout in the Imperial Capitol.

* * *

**Preview:**

**Sakura:** Sun Ce…the son of Sun Jian. He's pretty strong, and kinda cute. _Gah_! Focus girl! He's fighting a group of bandits right now! His life is one the line! Stop blushing over him and go help!

**Next Time:** Tigers of Jiang Dong

**Sakura:** He _does _have a nice butt though.

* * *

_**Review Reply Time!**_

"_Oi_! This is your favorite hero Uzumaki Naruto here, hosting this chapter's _RRT_ segment! _Dattebayo_!"

"_Great Job and I'm hoping this means you'll redo the sequel as well"_**-** **Recovery One**

"The sequel didn't get to far when the series was first cancelled, it be hard to redo something that wasn't finished all the way through. But I'm sure the sequel will do just fine when it comes back, I mean, did you check out the new chick for _Samurai Warriors 3_? Hehehehe…"

_"Holy crap I forgot to put this story on my alerts! Oops. Anyway I like the new scene between Guan Yu and Naruto. It gives them interaction that I think they didn't have in the original as well as giving Naruto a better reason to have a sword(provided that I found Naruto trying and failing to wield a great sword in the original to be humorous.)I also have a few questions. Do you intend to take DW 6 into account in any way/shape/ form/? Are the pairings the same as the original? Will Fu Xi appear like he did in the original?_

_Hope to see a new chap soon (and I remembered to put this story on alert)"_** -****SpartanNaruto607**

"Don't remind of the great sword thing. Anyway, me and _Heavy Beard_ became good friends after the original, so it was only right to give us some interaction here. A few elements from _Dynasty Warriors 6_ will be included, like a few scenes and lines from the game; some characters will have their _DW6_ duds, and the like. The main pairings will still be here, though I hate to say it, but the ones from my side of the series won't be included. Shogun-San will tell you why in a bit. And Fu Xi will be back here (Not the _Warriors Orochi_ version though).

"_I read the first Musou no Jutsu and honestly I was put off in the first chapter, but this though has me hooked! Really great!"_**-** **samurai89**

"Good to know, I thought the original sucked ass too! But… _please _don't tell Shogun-San I said that."

* * *

**Last Words from the Shogun:**

As was stated above, the pairings for the _Naruto_ side of the story won't be here because those characters will now be appearing in _Redux_. The reason for this was brought up by **Innerstruggle88**:

_[Quote]When I saw this I was ecstatic, mostly because since dw6 empires came out I've went crazy for anything Dynasty Warriors related._

_But as I read this, I quickly realized this wasn't what I was looking for in a Naruto/DW crossover. This is mostly (but not totally) caused by you bringing too many Naruto characters into the Three Kingdoms Universe._

_You already start with a massive roster of characters at your disposal with the DW characters, but then you not only bring team 10 and 8 you also bring in the sand team. This throws in absolutely tones of characters and you quickly get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of them. [/Quote]_

Thanks to him, I decided not to include the previous teams into the Three Kingdoms Universe this time around. Sorry if anyone is saddened by this, but I feel that this is best for _Redux_. It'd be a different story if this was a WO fic though, but we haven't reached that yet.

On a brighter note, after giving it much thought, I've decided that I'll write up the first _MNJ _Spin-off that I had planning: _The Mystic Civil War_. A prequel to the main storyline of _MNJ_, so that should be fun. In addition, I'll be working on that Avatar/SW crossover I've had laying around for awhile, so keep an eye out for that too.

But for now, I'm done!


	4. Chapter 3: Tigers of Jiang Dong

**Musou No Jutsu: Redux**

**Summary:** NarutoxDynasty Warriors crossover. Orochimaru, having mastered a Jutsu that allows him to travel through time, arrives in 2nd Century China, where the Age of the Three Kingdoms is about to begin. In order to stop the Sannin, Zuo Ci sends Naruto and his team to the Three Kingdoms after him. Here, a new tale begins.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the rightful property of Kishimoto Masashi, and Dynasty Warriors is the rightful property of both Chinese history and Koei-Tecmo.

* * *

Chapter Three: Tigers of Jiang Dong

The Yangtze River was beautiful at sunrise.

Standing by the riverbed just outside the village where she had taken temporary residence, Sakura watched as the sun lifted up into the orange sky. Her attire consisting of a black with red trimming jacket, black trousers with a red dragon embedded on the left leg, all black martial art shoes, and a deep red sash embedded with the emblem of the leaf village. A sharp wind blew in, ruffling her wide sleeves and sash. _How beautiful it is. It's a shame that this could all be destroyed one day. _She thought sadly, remembering what she was told about the rebels terrorizing everyone.

_No sense worrying about that now, I need to know where I can find Sun Jian. _

Turning away from the tranquil, picturesque scene before her, the pink haired kunoichi made her way back to the village, contemplating on where to go from here. A shrilling scream broke through the air, breaking her train of thought. She turned towards the forest at her right, just as another scream could be heard from deep within. Sakura rushed from the riverside, making her way through the forest just as another scream could be heard further down.

_What's going on?_

She spotted a small clearing up ahead, and came out to it before coming to a full stop. Several dozen armed men—bandits, judging by their dirt and grim covered clothing—ircled around a single, young looking warrior garbed in red, a pair of tonfas in his grip, and three of the attackers sprawled by his feet. His deep brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, which complimented the goatee on his chin. The pinked haired girl's face turned crimson red when she saw his face, momentarily forgetting about the bandits around him.

_Wow, he's even cuter than Sasuke-Kun…_

A suddenly blur past by her, knocking her out of her stupor, which was soon followed by the loud _crunch _of a tree. Sakura turned to see another of the bandits, unconscious and slumped against the now broken tree. She turned back to see the young fighter, his right arm and longer end of his tonfa outstretched before him. "Hello there," He said to Sakura, a grin that shined with confidence on his face. "Didn't mean to startle ya."

Before she could retort, four of the attackers broke off from the young man and rushed to attack her. As the first attacker came at her with a downward swing of the sword, Sakura skillfully jumped over both his weapon and his head. As he landed behind him, another bandit rushed at her with a thrust of the spear, but she sidestepped the attack and planted a powerful kick to the man's abdomen, sending him to the ground in pain before turning back to the first bandit, nailing him in the back of the head with a hard elbow strike.

"C'mon you idiots! She's just a girl!" Barked one of the two remaining bandits, painfully regretting his choice of words as the pinked hair youth caught him with a roundhouse kick that connected with his head. The last man, fear stricken by Sakura's surprising strength, staggered back as the girl turn to him and seized his arm, she then pulled hard, flipping the bandit over her body and sending him to the ground.

Having dealt with her attackers, Sakura turned back to help the younger warrior, but to her surprised saw that he had now downed the last remaining bandit, the rest sprawled about on the ground. Sweat glistened from his dark skin, with a mild sigh; he wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, tonfa still in his grip. "Thanks for the help, though I could've taken them all." He said, turning to the pink haired girl, "Gotta say, you'd sure know how to get around in a fight. And you're pretty cute too."

Taken aback by his comment, Sakura hesitated, her mind unable to form words for a brief moment, "You…don't need to thank me, I'm just glad to help." The young man smiled warmly at her, and Sakura found herself blushing from it. _Gah! What's wrong with me!_ A roar of marching feet could be heard; and soon a small squad of red armored men came rushing from the woods, stopping at the site of the two warriors and the downed bandits.

"Lord Sun Ce, are you hurt?" Asked the squad captain.

"No need to worry, nothing I couldn't handle." Answered Sun Ce, "Thanks to her, of course." He nudged his head at Sakura's direction, "Start rounding up these guys will ya, and then will back to camp."

Nodding in reply, the captain organized his men into two groups, and they began to gather up the beaten thugs, binding them with the robes they had on their persons. Sun Ce sighed, relieved that the fight was short lived—and with no lose of life for that matter. "I don't like it when things turn into bloodbaths. I'm just glad I was here, who knows what these guys could have done to the nearby village."

"Even if you weren't here, I could've stopped them myself." Sakura spoke, garnering young Ce's attention, "I was staying there while looking for a man named Sun Jian."

"Sun Jian? What business do you have with my father? Who are you anyway?" Sun Ce asked, starring at her curiously.

"My name is Haruno Sakura, I've been traveling all this way to find and fight for him. I know this may sound suspicious but…if you're really his son, then I'd like to join you and your father." Politely, she bowed at the waist before continuing, "I know I can be of some use, please let me serve in your army."

"Well, you certainly are a strong one." He smirked, eyeing the pinked haired girl, her black and red clothing hugging her lithe body comfortably. She was a beauty, he had to admit. But beyond that, he could see the makings of a noble warrior, someone fighting for something greater than herself._ I like seeing that in someone. And she seems special._ "Alright, I'll take ya to see my father, we'll need all the help we can get in defeating these Yellow Turbans."

* * *

He was known as the Tiger of Jiang Dong: famed for hunting down bandits and pirates all across the land. And while he fought with the prowess of a tiger in battle with his mighty Savage Tiger sword, he was also caring towards the men under him—never throwing them into a battle that had not been thoroughly analyzed.

Sun Jian was a father to his people.

Running a hand through his bleached white hair, Sun Jian stood in his tent, looking over a map of China on the board before him. Soon they would arrive at General Huangfu Song's position, along with the rest of the imperial army._ Why are the Turbans focusing so many troops in the Central Plains, instead of spreading throughout the rest of the country? _"Gōngfù, what are your thoughts? Why is the enemy amassing here?"

At far end of the tent, an aged warrior, with graying hair styled into a small Mohawk, stood at attention to Sun Jian's words. Little clothing and armor covered him, leaving his scarred and muscular body for all to see, a small shield was fitted to his left arm while his giant, black iron rod was gripped in his right. "It might be a trap, milord. Perhaps that crazed fanatic Zhang Jiao is trying to destroy the bulk of our forces."

"And then nothing would stand in his way to destroy the Han." Sun Jian mused, "But _if_that is the case, his plan is a double edge sword. One army will break in the coming battles, and I'll need you and the others to ensure that it won't be ours Huang Gai."

"I won't let you down, Tiger of Jiang Dong!" Huang Gai said proudly, pounding the chestplate with his fist. "These rebels will regret spreading chaos through the land!"

"I'll be right behind ya too pop!" Both the older warriors turned to the entrance to the camp, as the younger Sun pushed the flaps and made his way in, a strange, pinked haired girl following behind him. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but I came across someone who you might find interesting."

He gestured to the young girl behind him, who bowed politely to the two veteran men, "My name is Haruno Sakura, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Sun Jian." She said softly as she raised her head back up, slightly startling the Sun lord with her bright green eyes.

"The pleasure is all mine, young lady." Responded Sun Jian with a nod of the head, "I take you wish to join us in our fight, correct?"

"Yes sir, I've traveled all this way to find and serve you, and I'll do all I can to help end the fighting." Sakura said, "I even helped your son against a group of bandits earlier, I'm sure he'll vouch for me."

"I can certainly see some talent in your eyes little one." Sun Jian said, studying the girl carefully, "But I'll give you a little test, just so I can see your skills for myself." He turned his seasoned gaze to Huang Gai, who nodded in understanding. "Dual Huang Gai, and if you win, I'll let you join."

Making his way out of the tent, Huang Gai stopped beside Sakura and starred at her, "This way girl, we're about to see what your made of." He told her before stepping out.

Sudden hesitation to follow the old soldier overwhelmed the shinobi. Huang Gai had the look of a seasoned fighter, a man who had stepped on many a battlefield, and his weapon of choice seemed to complement him as well. Though the few years she had spent training under Tsunade had helped her greatly, she wondered if it was enough to best the aging warrior.

"Don't sweat it Sakura," A hand grasped her shoulder, surprising her. She looked up and caught the assuring smile of Sun Ce, "Huang Gai is tough, no doubt about that, but I have faith in you." He laughed wholeheartedly, "So get out there and show us what ya got!"

"…" She merely starred at him, her heart skipping several beats at once. _He…he makes me feel something. Something I only feel when I'm around Sasuke-Kun. No, its more than that, it's…different. _She couldn't fathom it, but his presence was just soothing to her.

After several moments of silence, she managed a slight smile, "Thanks, Sun Ce."

* * *

Red clothed soldiers gathered around at the center of the camp, watching with united curiosity as both Huang Gai and Sakura stood face to face, encircled by the throng of spectating soldiers with only twenty or so feet between them. From atop the high platform, Sun Jian and Ce watched as the two were about to face off, "You don't doubt me about Sakura, do you father?" Ce asked.

"Not at all my son, however we face the growing threat of Zhang Jiao and his army." Jian answered, "And for that we need those who can handle the madness that is war." _Though I will admit, she does look like she has seen her share of carnage. Maybe she will be of use, heh, we'll just have to see won't we?_

Two soldiers broke through the crowd as they moved towards Sakura, rolling a large rack of weapons to her. "Please choice a weapon, milady." One of them said as they stopped before her. Taking Huang Gai's rod into consideration, Sakura eyed each of the available weapons, trying to determine which was best for the situation.

The number of instruments of war at her disposal was staggering, swords of varying types, spears, pikes, halberds, daggers, among others. _This is impressive, but which is right for now? _She pondered, _Ah! I know!_ She spotted two, medium sized shields at the bottom of the rack, and she took one in her hand to examine it. Painted crimson red with an elegant golden swan design on it, it looked and felt sturdy, capable of holding against the older man's weapon. She slid her right arm through the shield grip, satisfied that it was a perfect if before reaching for its twin shield and equipping it as well.

Huang Gai raised a confused eyebrow at her choice of weapons, "Only those youngster?" He asked, "Might keep you from getting _too_banged up, sure, but that won't be enough." For her part, Sakura turned away from the rack and faced the seasoned warriors, determination filled green orbs locking onto his own dark ones.

"It'll be more than enough, trust me." The Shinobi replied confidently.

To this, Huang Gai let out a hardy laugh, "Alright than, but I hit pretty hard. Hope you can take it!" He surged forward with surprising speed for one his age, catching the girl off guard as he swung down on her. Barley able to bring up her left shield to block the attack, Sakura gritted her teeth as she felt the bones in her arm nearly crack into pieces. The man's brute strength was terrifying.

Swiftly she backed away and raised a kick to his left, but Huang Gai bright up his own shield and blocked the kick before pushing her foot away and throwing her off balance for a split second. He came at her with a swing from his rod, but Sakura regained her footing and blocked that attack with her right shield. Though still in pain, the kunoichi raised her left arm and struck the in the gut with her other shield. Huang Gai keeled forward, allowing her to strike him in the chin with a well placed right uppercut.

He staggered back from the blow, and the girl surged at him, leaping into the air in a spin and landed before the warrior, catching him with another kick to the side that sent him to the ground. The crowd gaped in shock as they saw the general hit the dirt face first, but Huang Gai, in a surprising show of fluid motion, rose back up to his feet while simultaneously swinging his rod at the now off guard girl, catching her with a well placed smack across the face.

Quickly she spun herself around in mid-air, landing gracefully at her feet as Huang Gai charged once more. Ignoring the pain running through her arm and face, Sakura raised both her shields and blocked a downward attack from the man's rod, the force of the attack pushing her back several inches. And as the crowd cheered in frenzy from the spectacle, both combatants struggled to overcome one another for supremacy.

"That's enough!"

The crowds went silent from the booming voice, and both warriors pushed off each other. All eyes fell on their leader, who strolled through the encirclement and towards the two fighters, his faithful son in tow. "No reason to wear yourselves out," He spoke, gentle eyes falling on the girl, "Sakura, my son was right about you. Your strength is almost a godsend to us, and will surly be needed in future engagements.

"I welcome you into my army, and place you in Sun Ce's unit. I trust you will not disappoint me." As the Tiger of Jiang Dong finished, applause and cheers broke out amongst the soldiers. For her part, Sakura turned her eyes to Sun Ce, who sent her an amused smirk. She turned away, hoping that he didn't see her face suddenly turning red.

"Thank you milord, I will do my best for you."

* * *

She had been given her own tent after the dual that evening, and the pink haired girl sat in silence, her right hand glowing with a faint light as the pain in her left arm slowly faded away. Thankful for the Hokage's medic training, Sakura sighed in relief when the pain in her arm finally went away, and she slowly laid herself flat across her mattress.

_That was quite a fight, I had no idea the warriors in this world were so strong. Why didn't Zuo Ci-San tell us that?_

"Knock, Knock." Pulled away from her thoughts, she turned to the entrance of her tent and could see the young Sun entering, his usual smile present on his face, "You look a lot better now, you a fast healer or something?"

"You could say that," She said as she sat back up, "Sun Ce, thank you for giving me the chance to join you."

"I should be thanking you for giving Huang Gai a good fight. I bet he's already looking forward to a rematch." His comment earned him a small giggle from the girl, "Though I gotta wonder, why'd you join up with us? I mean, my father is perhaps one of the best leaders in China, sure, but you seemed so determined to serve us than the usual person."

Taken aback by his question, she bit her lip in awkwardness, contemplating on how to respond. _I can't tell him about my mission, it will only complicate things. But what _can _I tell him? _"Well, it's just that it was important I that had to. I'm sorry if that isn't much of an answer."

"Its fine, we all have our reasons for fighting. But really, I think it'll be great having you around Sakura, maybe you'll make a name for yourself here." Still smiling, he turned around, making his way out of the tent. "Just be careful out there, alright. The whole nation has gone to hell, I wouldn't wanna see you get hurt."

With that, he walked out, leaving Sakura to muse on his words. _We've only just met and he's worried about me. I guess it's because he's my commanding officer now, but.. _With an irritable sigh, she laid back down, her heart suddenly beating wildly in her chest. _I'm not the one he should actually be worrying about. A madman is threatening his world, and he doesn't even know it. Should I have told him, warn him about Orochimaru? I don't know, what should I do?_

She closed her eyes, for some strange reason, her thoughts were on what would happen to…_him_.

_Sun Ce-Kun…_

* * *

"Brother! No, Great Teacher! We bring troubling news!"

The sands blew wildly across the desert landscape, obscuring everything for the three robbed wizards atop the hill. "I see, so the imperial forces have finally moved against us." At the edge of the hill, stood the great sage of the Yellow Turbans, red staff in hand. His eyes were shut in meditation as the winds blew at his brown and yellow robes.

The other two wizards starred at each other in bafflement, he knew the news already? "How did you…"

"The Heaven's have spoken to me." The great sage answered. "I have moved our followers just as the Heaven's have decreed, and now the most fearsome of our enemies are gathered in one place. We will strike with the vengeance of the Heavens, crippling the veil followers of the corrupt Han."

"Truly magnificent, Great Teacher Zhang Jiao." The first wizard praised.

"The fools who follow the Blue Dragon will perish before us!" The second wizard cheered.

"Yes, but we must be wary, Zhang Bao, and Zhang Liang. The Heaven have warned me of something else." Zhang Jiao's voice dropped lowly in concern, and his brothers had to strain to hear him over the crying winds. "A far more dangerous enemy lays hidden, obscured by the shadow of the foul Han!"

"Then Great Teacher," The two brothers spoke in usion, "Please use you power to guide your children to salvation."

"_Yes!" _His voice now booming with the all encompassing powers of a god, Zhang Jiao swept his arms in a wide arc, and the sands died down, reveling an unprecedented site: Thousands upon thousands of commoners—all wearing the colors of their leader—stood at the bottom of the hills. They roared wildly at the sight of their master, rising their weapons and yellow banners into the air. _"The Han, as well as this mysterious enemy, will be slain by the Yellow Dragon! And the land will become one under the Way of Peace!" _Zhang Jiao's followers continued to cheer on, their faith and hearts resting in the hands of the man blessed by the gods.

However, even amongst those who believed in the Heaven's, the agents of Chaos were there.

Two figures stood amongst the flood of fanatics, their bodies covered by their raggedy cloaks, making them seem as if they were one of them. _"Could he be aware of Orochimaru-Sama's presence?"_

"_I don't know, but our orders still stand. The Imperials must win."_

"_Right."_

As quietly as they stood amongst the crowd, the two figures disappeared, the rebels around them none the wiser.

* * *

**Preview:**

**Naruto: **Magic? Is that something like Jutsus?

**Sakura:** I don't know, but if these Turban guys can use it, we're in for a fight.

**Sasuke: **Still, let's not do anything to blow our cover. And that goes double for you dope.

**Naruto:** HEY!

**Next Time:** Menace

**Naruto: **WHAT DID YA MEAN BY THAT SASUKE!

**Sasuke: **Take a guess you idiot.

* * *

_**Review Reply Time!**_

"Hiya everybody, I'm Xu Zhu, and I'm hosting _RRT _today. Lord Cao Cao said that all I had to do was talk to everyone who left a review for the story, that sounds easy."

"_Lol, I won't. I liked the chapter, very nice!"_**-****samurai89**

"Won't what?"

"_A nicely done fight between Sasuke and Xiahou Dun (though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping Sasuke to get his arse kicked). So Fu Xi isn't going to be like his warriors Orochi...a little disappointing but I'll cope. Speaking of Warriors Orochi, is there any chance of Sun Wu Kong making an appearance or cameo considering he's a Chinese myth...I think?"_**-SpartanNaruto607**

"Yeah, I've read the manga, and Sasuke isn't a very nice person anymore. But I don't know if the monkey man will come, maybe it's a surprise."

"_If you're going to make a rewrite of these then why do you keep using the most disappointing Naruto villain (Orochimaru) Nagato or Madara should've been a better villain than him?"_**-rain**

"Huh, I think Mr. Shogun gave me something to read incase I came across someone like this. Now where did I put it? Huh….Here it is! It says_, "Its may story, I'll leave the general plotline the way it is, and I won't change that for the sake of one person. If I did that for every little complainer, I'd be right back where I started. So just drop it now you stupid…" _Oh, bad words at the end."

* * *

**Last Word from the Shogun:**

Today is a special day, why you ask? Because today marks the four year anniversary of the original _Musou No Jutsu! _So shred whatever scrap paper you have and throw the confetti around your house! And then clean it up before someone gets mad at you for doing so.

But yeah, I just set myself up this little deadline, and realized that I made it despite all my procrastination. Weird…

Anyway, someone said in the original story that the CexSaku pairing was one of the few good things they liked about it, and so I decided to expand on that more myself. Another nice change is Sakura's Chinese outfit; compare the two in both stories and you'll see that you agree with me that this one is much better.

With this out of the way, I'm goanna get to work on some other stuff. So here's to the fifth year anniversary!


	5. Chapter 4: Menace

**Musou No Jutsu: Redux**

**Summary:** NarutoxDynasty Warriors crossover. Orochimaru, having mastered a Jutsu that allows him to travel through time, arrives in 2nd Century China, where the Age of the Three Kingdoms is about to begin. In order to stop the Sannin, Zuo Ci sends Naruto and his team to the Three Kingdoms after him. Here, a new tale begins.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the rightful property of Kishimoto Masashi, and Dynasty Warriors is the rightful property of both Chinese history and Koei-Tecmo.

* * *

Chapter Four: Menace

It had taken days of searching high and low throughout the Land of Fire, but it had not been in vain. Now Kakashi's team had found their objective, hidden amongst the high trees of a forest in the north. The entrance to the traitor Sanin's hidden base was a stone stairwell leading underground. With his three other comrades, the silver haired Jonin starred down into the dark, underground abyss with his one visible eye, contemplating the dangers that waited below.

"It'd be risky for _all_ of us to go down there," He said, turning to his teammates, "Anko and I will head down first. Gai, Asuma, wait out here as back-up."

"Gotcha." Replied the beard Konoha Nin as he lit the cigarette in his mouth.

"_Hai_,be careful down there you two." Warned the all green clothed man, "No telling what kind of traps Orochimaru has down there."

"Let's get going Kakashi." Said the purple haired kunoichi beside Kakashi, "The sooner we find some information, the better it will be for your team."

"Right." Nodding, Kakashi walked cautiously down the stone steps, mentally hopping that neither he nor his partner would set off some kind of death trap. The sunlight outside growing fainter as they slowly made their way downward into the darkened corridors. A putrid stench penetrated his lower face mask and slithered into his nostrils, the smell of blood and decay.

"Smells like he just got himself a new host." Muttered Anko, doing her best to ignore the nauseous smell of death.

"And guess that means Sasuke will be alright for the time being." Kakashi said. "It was fortunate that Naruto and others got to him all those years ago, before it was too late."

"If you ask me, it was only delaying the inevitable. Orochimaru won't stop until he gets his Sharingan."

"I know, but for now let's focused on the mission in hand. My students will benefit from whatever we find here."

* * *

The Heavens may have been blessing the Han loyalists, for the number of troops that had answered General Haungfu Song's call to arms of staggering: nearly a million men from the far corners of China gathered at his Central Plains fortress. The giant, multicolored army quickly began the task setting up their respective camps, their respective leaders overseeing the work.

From his view point atop the high wall, Huangfu Song himself turned his head, starring at the various armies that railed to him. His highly decorative purple armor comfortably hugged his body, and his sword strapped at his side. "Wonderful, simply wonderful." He said amused, "Lord He Jin will be most pleased to hear that so many men have gathered to our righteous cause."

"Sir, as you've ordered, are allies our stationed in front of each of the gates." Reported one of his lieutenants, "Lords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao at the west gate, Lord Sun Jian at the east gate, and Lord Gongsun Zan at the south gate."

"Dong Zhuo has not arrived yet?" Asked Huangfu Song.

"Not yet general, but he'll be arriving at the south gate within the next hour."

"Good, have his men by the north gate when he arrives. And send a message to He Jin; tell him that we have the manpower he requires for this endeavor."

"Yes general."

With a final bow, the lieutenant turned on his heels and left, leaving the Han Commander to continue his survey of the army below him. "Those rebels will soon regret turning against the Emperor."

* * *

"Hey guys, glad to see ya!" The blonde youth cheered happily, a cheerful grin plastered on his face as threw his arm over the shoulder of his ebony haired teammate. "Who would have that we'd end in the same place? _Dattebayo_."

The three Shinobi had gathered at a small, unoccupied house within the fortress, cut off from any Chinese soldier, allowing them to discuss the progress of their assignment. The two boys stood at far side of the one room home, while their attractive pink haired partner stood by the table, looking over a map bowered from her Sun companion.

"Will you get off?" Growled Sasuke, pushing the blonde's arm off him, "I'd admit that I wasn't expecting to find you two here. At least it gives us a chance to discuss on to do next. I take you two are with your respective leaders?"

"Defiantly! Liu Bei's a great guy, just like Zuo Ci said he was." Answered Naruto, "Even his brothers are great guys…well, at least Guan Yu is." He groaned lightly, thinking of his new master's alcoholic oath brother. "What about you Sasuke? What that Cao Cao guy like."

"To be honest…I really can't say. I don't know whether he's loyal to his government or not. He has something planned for this country, but it's hard to figure out what." Was the Uchiha's reply. His eyes were shut in deep thought as he tried once again to figure out the man he now served. "It's strange, but for some reason, he seems more ambitious than anyone we ever faced, even Orochimaru."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow at his words, "Seriously, should we be worried?"

"I don't really know, he doesn't seem to be _that _kind of threat. But I can't be sure."

"Wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on him though, right?"

"Right. What about you Sakura?"

"Huh?" The pink haired kunoichi was pulled from her concentration on the map and turned to her male friends, green orbs looking back at them, "Sorry, I was looking over this," She pointed to the map on the table, "It's a map of the Central Plains, from what Sun Ce-Kun told me, the rebel arm—the Yellow Turbans—our amassing here. Their probably planning on attacking the capitol city of Luo Yang."

"Sakura, that's the least of our concerns." Sasuke told her, "Who know what's gonna happen if Orochimaru gets what he wants. And why did you call that guy as '_Sun Ce-Kun_?'"

"Don't tell us you have a crush on him." Cooed Naruto, a mischievous smirk appearing across his face. "_Ooh, _Sun Ce and Sakura-Chan! What a hot couple!" He laughed hardily at his childish mocking, but it proved to be short lived….An enraged fist from the female connected with the blonde boy's face, the power behind it enough to send him flying across the room and through the door of the house.

Several Han soldiers gathered around outside and saw Naruto sprawled on the ground, moaning in pain, his eyes in a daze. The pink headed Shinobi stomped out of the house shortly afterward, her face flushed red, yet the intense expression of anger on her face cause the soldiers to back away in silent dread.

Strolling over to his yellow headed counterpart, Sasuke starred down at him and sighed with pity. "You. Are. _Hopeless_."

* * *

"I can't believe these people! I won't stand for this!" Roared the barley Zhang Fei as he stomped back and forth across the center of their campsite. "Who does that Huangfu Song guy think he is? Brother Liu Bei, how can you be so calm about be refused a quarters inside."

"Calm yourself Zhang Fei; I do not mind remaining here with you and Guan Yu." Said Liu Bei calmly, trying to ease the frustration of his more intense oath brother. "Besides, it is to be expected. I am only a common man, leading a force of peasants; it's understandable why they will not allow me a place within the fort."

"Such is the way of things, I'm afraid." Spoke Guan Yu from behind Liu Bei, "It is of little concern of course, such luxuries and pampering would only push us away from a vitreous cause, isn't that right elder brother?"

"Yes," Liu Bei nodded, "We shall work with what we are given, for the good of the land."

"I guess you guys are right, still wouldn't hurt to be shown some respect 'round here." Grunted Zhang Fei. He reached for the wine jug strapped at his side, pulling the cork out and downing the content inside. "Anyway, where did _Cat Face _get to? Haven't seen the punk in hours."

Guan Yu stared at his oath brother with disapproval at the name, "Zhang Fei, you've been giving Naruto a difficult time ever since he joined us. Why must that be so?"

"Why do you trust him so easily?" Asked Zhang Fei as he took another drink of wine, "Other than what he told us, we don't really much about him. I say he's working with the enemy, maybe that's why his hair is that color." He laughed.

"Yes, I'm aware Naruto is not telling us something, but I'm sure he has good reason why. And we will not press the matter any longer." Said Liu Bei firmly, "I can tell that he has a good heart, and that he believe in what is right and wrong. That is enough for me to trust him."

"Likewise." Nodded Guan Yu.

"Whats all this talk about me?" The three brothers turned just as the figure of their younger comrade appeared. They all took notice of the fist shaped bruise that had formed on his now slightly swollen cheek. "Don't mind this," He managed a smile through the pain, indicating to them the bruise, "That's what I get for teasing a friend."

Suddenly the heavy drinker burst out in laughter and he bent forward, strong hands on his knees, "I bet you deserved it _Cat Face_!"

"And you deserve a broken nose _Boozehound_!" Growled the boy as he was about to deliver on his word, but the giant red hand of Guan Yu grasped his shoulder, pulling him back from the Zhang Fei.

"Enough, both of you." He said calmly, though both fighters could sense it was laced with a bit of rough demand. "We have more _urgent_ matters to attain with."

"Guan Yu is right. Lord He Jin—the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army—believes that Zhang Jiao is mustering his forces here an attack on the Capitol itself: Luo Yang. This is why we are here, to prevent such a catastrophe." Began Liu Bei, his eyes gazing over his three allies. "But it will not be easy, for Zhang Jiao and his brothers are said to be powerful sorcerers."

"Sorcerers?" Asked Naruto, "What's that mean?"

"It means that they are able to use magic, making them dangerous enemies. We must be prepared for anything, when Lord Gongsun Zan returns, we shall-"Before Liu Bei could finish; the landscape around them was overcome with a then cloud of mist. His oath brother, Naruto and troops stood, alarmed by the mist.

_This fog…it doesn't seem normal. Could it be…?_ The blonde youth's eyes bulged out in shock, "Liu Bei, I think it's-"

"I know Naruto." Interrupted the volunteer's leader, he drew his sword from his scabbard, clutching the hilt tightly in his hand, "Get the men ready, it seems the battle is about to begin."

* * *

It was not only Liu Bei's camp, but every Han position had become enshrouded by the strange mist. The troops of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in the west, fearing the worst, rushed across their campsites, desperately preparing themselves for an enemy that might come upon them.

"Well this is theatrical." muttered Sasuke, hand lazily resting on the hilt of his still sheathed sword. He looked around, yellow and blue soldiers and officers rushed about, hurrying their men to make ready for a fight. "Yuan did say the Turban leaders knew something called _magic_, might have to hold nothing back if it's dangerous."

"Worried boy?" Looking behind him, the raven haired shinobi spotted the Xiahou Dun approaching, tapping his left shoulder lightly with his scimitar. "This will be a _real_ battle, not some kind of backstreet brawl—which I assume you are more _comfortable_ with." He said mockingly.

"I'm surprised Dun. Are you…concerned for my well being?" Retorted Sasuke, a smug expression on his face.

"Don't hold us back kid, I'm not dragging your carcass to the pile when this is over." Grunted Dun.

"Are we bickering amongst ourselves again?" The authoritative voiced reached their ears, and both warriors turned to see Cao Cao himself approaching, the younger Xiahou close behind him. "Xiahou Dun, you and Sasuke will guard our right flank alongside Yuan Shao's generals, Yang Liang and Yan Chou. Yuan and I will maintain the left and center positions. Move out!"

"No problem sir, these punks are in for a world of hurt!" Laughed Yuan with a characteristic grin across his face, "You two ready?"

For their part, Sasuke and Xiahou Dun starred at one another from the corner of their eyes, hatful glares for one another burning within them. _He'd better not get in my way._ They both thought simultaneously.

* * *

The strange mist suddenly grew heavy, leaving only a few yards ahead visible to Sun Jian. He sat atop his warhorse; helmet and armor covered his body and sword already in his grasp as he spotted a few of his own confused and almost frightened men through the thick fog.

_I don't like the looks of this… _He thought. _This is clearly Turban magic, but why aren't they making their move? There only giving us time to form up and prepare to meet their attack, what could they be scheming?_

"Pops!" Pulled from his thoughts, Sun Jian whirled his around and spotted his eldest son approaching him, the pink haired figure of Sakura following behind him. "Huang Gai is getting the men ready, looks like he knows troubles comin'."

"Ce, Sakura, get to your positions, we must be prepared for anything. Who knows when the rebels will strike." Jian ordered, Hawk-like eyes starring out into the fog.

The pink haired girl could not blame her new leader for his concerns, what she and her teammates had learned about the rebels earlier bothered her just as much. How dangerous where the Turban leaders? Where they in league with her true enemy? _Whatever's going to happen, I hope we're _all _ready for it._

* * *

"What's happening! Where did this fog come from!" Huangfu Song shouted; the view of his magnificent army obscured by the heavy mist that appeared from nowhere. His soldiers and attendants were in a panic, fearing the possibility of an enemy ambush emerging from the mist. "Stand tall everyone, if this is Turban sorcery, then we—the men of the glorious Han—will overcome it! What news from our forces?"

"Lords Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Sun Jian, and Gongsun Zan have returned to their positions along the gates. But Dong Zhuo's army has not yet arrived. We fear that the presence of the mist will delay him somewhat." Answered on of his lieutenants, "The north gate is still undermanned, what do we do sir?"

"Damn it all, there's no way around it. Reinforce the north gate with some of my men; they'll have to hold until additional forces arrive." Ordered Huangfu Song strictly.

"But what if the enemy's numbers are greater than we anticipate?"

"There's nothing we can do about it, we'll have to make due with what we have. Now go get the men ready!"

"Yes milord!"

* * *

"I sense that the infidels are hurrying themselves. But they have no idea…" With a devious smirk, Zhang Liang continued his concentration. He could feel the divine energies flowing through his veins, a subconscious sense allowed him to see the soon to be battlefield despite the white sheet he created. He sensed the very _chi_ of the Imperial soldiers, and though a few stood out, the majority was nothing of concern to him or his near god-like perception.

And then he felt it...

* * *

"_What…what is that!" Something stood out from among the ranks of the vile Han troops; a twisted, sinister blur seeped into his mind, and try as he might, he could not cast it away. "What unholy presence is this?"_

_Within the darkness of his mind, the blur took form, and what he saw was unimaginable. Terrifying. Dark red eyes starred at him, a cruel, bestial bloodlust glinted in them, sending a chill down his spine. Grotesque lips started to appear out from the pitch black void, forming into a horrifying grin that reviled sharp rows of teeth._

_Liang looked on, horrorstricken at the demonic sight before him. "What are you?" He whimpered, feeling his whole go numb with fear._

"_**Oh? This is new..."**__ The best sneered, a hideous noise that Liang assumed as a chuckle escaped the thing's throat, __**"That brat will have to be careful of you Yellow Turban wizards."**_

* * *

"Teacher Zhang Liang, the men are in place."

His concentration now broken, Zhang Liang's eyes snapped opened, his senses returning to his own reality. "Teach Liang?" Asked the follower who addressed him, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am now." He replied, his head throbbing mad, "The Imperials have something amongst them, something…" He trailed off slightly, the image burned into his mind, "Something sinful. We must find it and kill, or it will be the end of us all."

Now at ease, Liang looked on ahead of his own encampment, towards where the enemy fortress stood, "_Heaven above! Grant your chosen children the power to vanquish the evils of the Blue Dragon!_" He extended his arms out forward, and elegantly spread them out in a slow motion.

To the amazement of the troops around him, the heavy fog started to grow thin, reveal more of the land. Within moments it gave away completely, reveal the sight that stunned the entire Han army.

* * *

The endless sea of yellow overwhelmed the Imperial Commander's vision as he and several men stood atop the high walls. Frozen with shock, Huangfu Song could only imagine what was going through the heads of his fellow officers.

_Damn those rebels, they must match our numbers!_ He thought as he gritted his teeth. _No matter, we cannot afford to lose this day. _"Men, show no fear!" His voice boomed, startling the soldiers around him. "They may match our numbers, but these traitors can never match our strength! Fight in the name of the Han Empire! In the name of China!"

"_For China!_" The soldiers cheered as one, their spirits sent a blazing by their leader's words. Come what may from here on out, they would stand their ground and face the foe that threatened all they cherished deeply.

Victory would be theirs this day.

* * *

Having reached what they assumed to be the main hall of the complex, Kakashi and Anko slowly forward, the dim firelights placed on the dozens of pillars their only source of light. The rotten smell of blood and flesh still hung in the air, the sheer presence of an ominous threat crashed into them in waves.

"I wonder what Orochimaru has been up to here since I left?" Pondered Anko, kunai clutched in her hands. "God only knows how many people that monster's killed."

"Do you still recall where he kept his research?" Kakashi asked, one visible eye scanning their surroundings.

"Its right up ahead, should be able to see it any…" She trailed off as a pair of iron doors came into view at the end of the main hall, "Bingo," She said with a slight smirk. "After you Kakashi."

Stopping at the doors, the white haired shinobi raised his hand and pushed one of them opened a little, allowing peer inside before venturing in. The room beyond was dark, save for a few papers lanterns on a small table in the center, beyond that he could only make out the darkened forms of a couple of bookshelves.

"Let go," He said as opened the door all the way and stepped in, his female companion following close behind.

The two stood in the middle of the room, the lights from outside giving them a better view of what was in there. Bookshelves covered every inch of the walls, books and scrolls were scattered about in a messy fashion, covered by a thin layer of dust. "He never was a tidy kinda a guy." Anko said amusingly, "If I were Orochimaru, were would I keep the secrets of a Time Travel Jutsu?"

For his part Kakashi looked down at the contents left on the table, the paper lanterns' lights reveled what looked like a map of some sorts. Inspecting it closer, he noticed that it appeared to be rather old—a century or so if he had to guess. The Kanji symbols written on it were worn out slightly, but he could still make them out.

"I think I found something," He said, "Take a look."

Anko moved up beside him, she starred down at the map and looked it over for a moment before speaking, "Could he have used this to find that Jutsu?"

"Looks like it, but this thing is so old it's hard to read it," Kakashi said, "We'll take it back to the village, our researchers should be able to decipherer it there." The male Jounin reached for the map, but as he yanked it from the table, he didn't notice the invisible strings attached to the back of it until too late. "Shi-"

A sudden explosion caught them in its grasp.

* * *

**Preview:**

**Naruto:** So this is that _Magic _stuff Liu Bei told me about. Doesn't seem like it's any different from Jutsu, but these wizards sure no how to use it. No problem, I'll just to kick it up a notch!

**Next Time: **Magic vs. Jutsu.

**Naruto: **I'll never back down, no matter what happens!

* * *

_**Review Reply Time!**_

"Greetings everyone! I am the one and only Jiraiya, your host for today's RRT segment! But before I begin, I'd like to remind everyone to drop by their local bookstore and purchase my entire _Icha Icha _an expert on love and women, I'm sure you'll fall in love with my-"

"Get on with it you Perverted Hermit!"

"Right…Sorry…"

"Just a question will you have the Jing incident you know Shu takes land Wu wanted, Zhou Yu dies of stress trying to get it back, Wu betrays Shu for Wei, Guan Yu and his son are killed then when Liu Bei wants revenge Zhang Fei is murdered and Liu Bei dies after Yi Ling. It would be interesting to see how Team 7 reacts"**-B Guy**

"Whoa, commas man, commas. Considering that this is the rewrite of the original, I'm sure the whole Jing mess with be included this time around. Granted, Shogun isn't the most well rounded when it comes to the Three Kingdoms history."

"_Hm... interesting take on all the characters from Naruto. Only Zuo Ci would do something like bring all three of them there, beautifully thought out. 1 question is this before or after Da and Ce are married? Besides that small point you captured everyone's essence beautifully, I can really see the characters speaking and acting the way you portrait them. Bravo."_**-Shadow-The Black Queen**

"Why thank you milady, and if you ever need some more _essence_ of a characters, feel free to give me a _call_. Alright then, on to the next review….uh Naruto, the next one please."

"Actually, it was only those two."

"What! That's it!"

"Yeah, things have been pretty slow nowadays. I guess most of the usual readers still have school or something, can't really blame them."

"Well…I know! I'll read the first book of my series; they'll love me for it! _Ahem_, Prologue-"

"_Cut!_"

* * *

**Last Words from the Shogun:**

Happy New Year! And that's all I gotta say.


	6. Chapter 5: Magic vs Jutsu

**Musou No Jutsu: Redux**

**Summary:** NarutoxDynasty Warriors crossover. Orochimaru, having mastered a Jutsu that allows him to travel through time, arrives in 2nd Century China, where the Age of the Three Kingdoms is about to begin. In order to stop the Sannin, Zuo Ci sends Naruto and his team to the Three Kingdoms after him. Here, a new tale begins.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the rightful property of Kishimoto Masashi, and Dynasty Warriors is the rightful property of both Chinese history and Koei-Tecmo.

* * *

Chapter Five: Magic vs. Jutsu

The Turban rebels charged at the Han fortress from all sides, the banners of their fanatic leader fluttered in the wind like a wild beast. Their voiced scream out as one as, weapons at hand ready to strike down the enemies of the Yellow Dragon.

General Gongsun Zan, an old friend of Liu Bei, rejoined his troops in the front beside his former classmate, long sword at hand. "They caught us completely by surprised, those cleaver basterds." He said lowly, "And to make matters worst, of the four gates, the east and north are the most defenseless."

"I couldn't agree more Master Gongsun Zan," Liu Bei nodded, "Which is why I must ask you to head to the eastern gate and assist Master Sun Jian's men. With any luck, the two of you should drive them back and reach the northern gate before it falls."

"Are you insane Liu Bei? You're men will be slaughtered!" Gongsun Zan protested.

"Do not fear for my safety, I have my brothers, as well as my younger officer at my side. The four of us will hold to the very end." Liu Bei countered; eyes harden with determination and self-sacrifice.

Unable to form a retort, Gongsun Zan sighed in defeat, "Very well old friend, but I will at least leave one of my best officers here to aid you." He snapped the reigns of his horse, and the steed obediently turned to head east, "Soldiers, we'll break through the enemy lines and head to Sun Jian's side in the east! Go!"

His soldiers followed suit, hastily jogging behind their leader as his horsed race forward. Liu Bei watched as the man's figure grew smaller and smaller, wishing him the best of luck before he charged forward, his own soldiers already engaging the enemy.

* * *

A shuriken to the eye socket quickly ended the life of a Turban soldier, his comrades ran pasted the dead man and aimed their steely gazes at the young blonde who had thrown the foreign projectile. Drawing out his newly acquired Jian from its blue sheath, Naruto leaped into the air, spinning rapidly before coming down on his surprised assailants.

He neatly cleaved through one's throat, the man's head dangling from its bloodied stump. He then spun around and slashed at another attacker, the blade cutting through his unarmored chest. A spear tip caught his eye, and skillfully sidestepped it before smashing his elbow in its owner's face and sending him to the ground. The blonde haired ninja ducked under the swipe of a blade and pulled out a kunai knife from his pouch, stabbing his enemy in his arm. The man screamed out, dropping his weapon as the youth drove his sword into his stomach.

Naruto pulled the sword out as blood sprayed from the man's chest, and he easily stepped out of the way to avoid the red liquid. He quickly surveyed the battle around him, green and yellow clothed men fall all around, the ground red with blood and the scent of disemboweled bodily fluids lingered in the air. The scent made his stomach twist itself in a knot, almost making him vomit.

_No doubt I'll be seeing a lot of this on my mission, but that doesn't mean I'll get used to it easily._

His blue eyes caught sight of Liu Bei's brothers a few yards away from where he stood, and he gaped in astonishment at their fighting prowess. Dozens of men surrounded the two of them, and yet their skill and weapons made easy work of them.

The red faced giant, to Naruto's surprised, was amazingly graceful and fluid with his long bladed halberd, _Blue Dragon_. Six to seven men fell to his blade with each individual sweep, and he could only imagine the strength behind each one. In stark contrast to Guan Yu, the drunkard Zhang Fei was much more barbaric and straightforward with his _Cobra Pike_. Each swing and swipe of the weapon was that of a street brawler then a martial artist, though, he admitted, that it was at the very least devastating and effective.

_Still, I'd go with Heavy Beard any day._

"Hey _Cat Face_, already got fifteen!" Gloated Zhang Fei from afar, Cobra Pike embedded in a dead man's chest.

Naruto simply smirked, "Seventeen, _Boozehound_!"

The man's eyes almost bulged from their sockets, "_No way_!"

"Brother, Naruto, this is no time for trivial competition!" Guan Yu scolded, sending another group of enemies flying back. "Focus on the battle, not on each other!"

Neither of them heard his words. The two warriors charged deeper into the enemy ranks, cutting down more and more rebel troops in their attempt to one up each other.

"_Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen_…" Counted Zhang Fei.

"_Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three_…" Counted Naruto.

Guan Yu could only sigh.

* * *

The army of Gongsun Zan plowed through the enemy as they tried to get across the bridge of the small southeast river that would led them to Sun Jian's position. "Hurry, break through their lines!" Gongsun Zan shouted; swinging his long sword back forth to either side of his steed.

"Stop those Han pigs!" Shouted Deng Mao, a Yellow Turban officer. His troops formed up at his command, blocking Gongsun Zan's way.

The General pulled on the reigns, and his horse stopped in his tracks with a loud whine. The men behind him stopped, they raised their weapons, ready to due battle. Gongsun Zan brought his sword overhead, about to give the command to attack and continue on through…

"_And that's thirty!_"

A young looking warrior jumped across the air, his dirt brown boot connected with Dang Mao's face, forcing him off his own steed and sent skidding across the ground.

"…" Both the rebels and Gongsun Zan's men looked on at the scene with stunned silence.

""Ha! Top that _Boozehound_!" Naruto shouted triumphantly, the blade of his Jian resting on his shoulder.

"This battle isn't over yet _Cat Face_!" Roared the brawny Zhang Fei a few yards away, Cobra Pike in hand. The muscle bound drinker saw the blonde's last victim slowly rise to his feet behind him, moaning painfully to himself. "Haha, looks like you're back down to twenty-nine!"

Confused, Naruto turned behind him and spotted the Turban officer getting back to his feet, "Damn it," He cursed, "No problem, I'll fix that."

"Sorry, but that one's mine!" Zhang Fei ran passed Naruto with surprising speed. Bringing his weapon up to bear, the man pushed of his feet and jumped upward, the blonde gasping in shock. Like a meteor, Zhang Fei came falling down to the earth with a mighty shout, Cobra Pike raised overhead.

Dang Mao looked on at his attacker, eyes widen with fear, "That impossible…" He muttered as he brought his spear up to block him. It did him no good.

As the drinker hit the ground, the earth trembled mildly, throwing a few of the Turbans and Gongsun Zan's men to the ground, dust thrown into the air. The general himself looked on as the dust cloud cleared, and his heart skipped a beat at what he saw.

The brawny warrior's blade snapped the shaft of Dang Mao's weapon in two, and was now stabbed into the man's throat as blood poured out of the wound like a fountain. With painful whimpers, Dang Mao released his broken spear and slumped backwards, eyes rolling into the back of his head.

"And that's thirty," Zhang Fei mocked, ignoring the onlookers as he turned to Naruto, "Why don't ya just admit that you're not fit to be on the battlefield, _Cat Face_."

"Like hell _Boozehound_," Naruto growled, turning his blue eyes at the stunned Turban troops. A hint of competitive malice lay behind his blue irises, and the rebels—horrified at their leader's demise—took a fearful step back.

"Now I'll show ya how we do it at my village," Stabbing his sword into the ground, Naruto brought his hands together, forming a cross with his fingers, _**"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!"**_ A cloud of smoke consumed him and everyone wondered what was happening. The smoke gave away, and both groups were taken by complete surprise.

A single duplicate now stood beside him.

"…This…is Liu Bei's officers?" A stunned Gongsun Zan asked no one in particular.

Naruto brought his right hand up to his cloned counterpart, who obediently brought his own hands over the original's. A faint blue energy manifested between their palms, together they molded it into a swirling sphere, appearing as a mini tornado.

With a smug grin, both Naruto and his clone charged the remaining Turbans, many of them breaking rank fleeing out of pure fear of the boy's strange sorcery. They both shot up into the air, coming down on the soldiers with their raging ball of energy—a faint wind blowing at their hair all the while.

"_**Ōdama Rasengan"**_

They the brought the sphere down onto the ground, and a massive burst of ferocious wind blew out in all directions. Screaming rebels we're sent flying every which way, the winds cutting into them like knifes. Zhang Fei and Gongsun Zan's men watched on in silent awe, while the general himself trying to keep his now terrified steed from hurling him of its back.

As the winds finally died out, Naruto's shadow clone dissipated into smoke, leaving the young man to survey his handiwork. "Three, four, five," He counted, excluding those who were merely wounded or rendered unconscious from the attack, "Thirteen only, huh?" He said, slightly disappointed. "Still, that's forty-two kills!" He turned to face Zhang Fei, A wide cocky grin on his face, "You ain't catching up to me now _Boozehound_, _dattebayo_!"

The muscle man's shock at the boy's fear was quickly—and quite comically—cast aside by the boy's victorious statement, now it was replaced by a raging glare, "I don't know what you just did, but that won't stop me from winning this!" He roared, storming off deeper into the enemy lines.

"Good luck with that." Naruto laughed as he followed him.

They had completely ignored Gongsun Zan's forces, which now starred at the horrific seen before them in silence. Dang Mao lay dead, and his own united was wipe out, the survivors fleeing for their lives. "…C-come on men, we have a battle to win." Gongsun Zan spoke at last, urging his still nerve wreaked men and horse forward across the bridge and to Sun Jian's position.

He thanked the Heavens that those two, especially the boy, were not with the enemy.

* * *

"Having trouble on your end child?" Xiahou Dun cleaved through a Turban soldier clean through his scimitar, the unfortunate man's halves crumbling to the ground in a bloodied heap.

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing." Sasuke retorted as his short katana sliced through his opponent's pelvis. The man screamed out in agonizing pain before the young Uchiha fighter silenced him with a well placed stab right between his eyes. "Someone so hot headed as you should have been dead minutes ago."

Xiahou Dun scuffed, he set his steely gaze forward and charged, slashing at enemy soldier every to and fro. His movements were smooth and uninterrupted, each blow from his curved sword was punishing, the wounds inflicted on its victim were deep, even the survivors would feel the throbbing pain for the rest of their days.

_He's pretty good, I'll give him that._ Sasuke thought to himself. _But I'm no slouch either._

A small shadow fell over him, and he instantly looked up to see a hail of arrows coming down on him. With sword in hand he jumped to the side, the first batch of arrows missing him completely, he then brought his weapon up and deflected several more with flawless precision. As the few remaining arrows come down, Sasuke pulled at a few shuriken from the pouch strapped to his leg and tossed them up, the star shaped weapons knocked the arrows away, and they fell harmlessly to the ground.

Sasuke looked ahead and spotted the group of archers that had fired upon him; he instantly dashed off, black eyes gazing at his attackers as they readied their bows once more. They would not get another chance to fire.

The raven haired youth leap forward and caught the led archer with a kick to the chin that sent him flying through another group of archers. As he landed on his feet, he twisted the sword in his hand—the blade no facing down—and stabbed another archer in the foot, he then ran his weapon up through the man's leg, through his thigh, then halfway through the stomach before pulling it out. He disdainfully stepped to the side, avoiding the spewing blood.

Turning behind him, Sasuke deflected a sword blow from another archer; having discarded his bow in favor of a melee weapon. Sasuke easily dodged the first several swings before grabbing the man's wrist with his free hand and pulling him close with his own sword outstretched, running him cleanly through his chest.

"_The left flank units are being torn apart! They can't hold for much longer!_" A captain had shouted over the roars of the fighting crowd. "_They need assistance!_"

The remaining Turban Archers now fleeing, the young shinobi turned to where the older Xiahou now stood a few yards away, surrounded by fallen enemies. The other warrior turned to him; his harden eyes glaring into his.

"Shall we?" Dun spoke; bring his scimitar to his shoulder.

"Lets…" Replied the young Uchiha, an overconfident smirk on his face.

The two warriors charged off to the left flank, a contingent of soldiers following close behind to assist.

* * *

Though a few of his own troops were in the thick of the battle, the noblemen, donned in shining gold armor, kept the bulk of his forces behind Cao Cao's troops. Preferring to minimize the casualties of his army for the unforeseeable future, best not to waste too many soldiers needlessly, even if they were facing a powerful force here.

His name was Yuan Shao, head of the influential Yuan family.

"Pathetic commoners, no understanding of where they belong in the social hierarchy," Yuan Shao scuffed, "Though I do not blame them, that mad man Zhang Jiao has deceived them to self ruin."

"A beautiful flower must one day shade its petals, much like the Han." Standing beside him was a feminine looking man with a slender build and crisp brown hair tied into a long ponytail. His attire, comprising of a chest plate half sliver and half purple and tight neon blue trousers, only furthered this.

If not for the two metal clawed gauntlets he wore on his arms, most would not consider him a threat.

"Bit your tongue Zhang He!" Shouted Yuan Shao, stunned by his retainer's words, "Do not even thing such things."

"My apologize milord," Zhang He said, bowing courtly, "But is not restoring peace and tranquility to the people of the land the duty of a loyal servant of the Imperial Han?"

"Of course it is."

"Then with all do respect sire, why hold back now, at this most critical of moments? Everyone here knows that if the Imperial forces fall, then so does the government, the rebels will march on the Capitol, raze to the ground, and then go on to destroy all those who supported it. The Yuan family included."

"Perhaps you are right Zhang He, but even if we win _this_ battle, what will await us in the next one, and the one before that? I'm merely being cautious."

"Lord Yuan Shao, their will always be risks in chaos. But they must be undertaken to seize the moment. Still, if my lord feels that preserving our own fighting strength crucial, I request, at the very least, to take my unit into the fray to aid master Cao Cao."

Yuan Shao sighed irritably, musing over the man's words. No matter how well trained the men of his old friend were, they could not match up to his own elite soldiers. Zhang He knew that as much as he did. Perhaps it is for the best.

"Very well then Zhang He, move out!" He ordered. "Show Cao Cao and the Turbans what an army of nobility can do!"

"Yes sire," With a final bow, Zhang He turned about, now facing his own forces, "Come men, let us bring some color into this drab battlefield."

* * *

Cao Cao was thankful that his cousin Yuan was his best archer.

The younger of the two Xiahou brothers unleashed a nearly endless barrage of arrows with pinpoint accuracy, Turban after Turban fell to his fatal projectiles by the dozens. It could not last forever however, for already he was down to his last few arrows in his quiver.

"Save your arrows Yuan, we'll have to fight on their level." Cao Cao ordered firmly.

"Right," Yuan nodded as he put his bow aside and reached for his iron club, "I can be just as nasty with this bad boy."

The Hero of Chaos allowed himself a chuckle at his statement, "That I know cousin."

"My lord!" Cao Cao and Yuan turned around to see who had called out, and they spotted their two remaining officers approaching, several soldiers close behind.

"Dun, Sasuke, perfect timing." Cao Cao said, glad that his two best men were with him now "The enemy second wave is getting ready to attack. We need to break through their wave and strike the enemy leader behind them."

"Then I shall play my part in this as well," Cao Cao looked to his left as a group of gold clothed soldiers approached him, a feminine looking warrior with clawed gauntlets leading them, "Lord Yuan Shao has sent me, Zhang He, to offer my elegant abilities in your efforts here. Please make use of my beauty."

"…" Sasuke and the Xiahou brothers stared dumfounded at the Yuan officer, caught aloof by the aura that vibrated off him. A part of Sasuke's mind, for some inane reason, was expecting butterflies to flutter about his person at any moment.

Unlike his officers, however, Cao Cao knew better than to judge hastily. Despite his flamboyant personality, he could see that there was more to him than that, "If Yuan Shao sent you, then I will accept his most gracious gift." He declared, turning back to his officers, "Now then, we must smash through their second wave and strike down their unit leader, but it will not be easy."

The Uchiha pulled his thoughts from Zhang He and looked ahead: A sea of enemy troops were marching forward, their weapons held high for a brutal attack. It would be a slaughter if they were to go at head on, even if they did succeed. _We're gonna need something to tip the odds in our favor._ He concluded. _I wonder…_

"Cao Cao sir, if I may," Sasuke began, garnering the group's attention, "If we're going to hit them head on, we're going to need something to even things out then."

Cao Cao cocked an eyebrow at him, intrigued by what he was saying, "Do you have a plan in mind?" He asked, staring into the boy's eyes.

"I have a…_trick_ that might work, but I need you'll to wait until I pull it off." Sasuke replied, analyzing his leader's gaze. He hoped he trusted him enough.

"What trick? What can you possibly against them?" Protested Xiahou Dun, skeptical of his words, "My lord, whatever he is thinking is perhaps a waste of time. The enemy is closing in, what could this child possibly have up his sleeve?"

For his part, Sasuke turned to face Dun, his black eyes filled discontent as he stared at the older warrior, "Just watch…" He said before running off, heading for the Turban forces ahead. Several of the soldiers gasped out in surprise as the young man took off alone, thinking that had some kind of death wish to fulfill.

"Cousin, you're not just gonna let Sasuke go by himself, are you?" Xiahou Yuan spoke up, looking at his mounted leader, "Cousin?"

Cao Cao did not answer, he simply watched as the young warrior took off, the Turbans marching ever closer. _Sasuke, if this is how you wish to prove yourself to me, then you're a fool in thinking so. And yet…_

* * *

Guan Hai did not expect the enemy to send on messily soldier to attack them, and teenager of all people? How laughable! "These heathens send children to fight us! They think us as a minor annoyance! We'll prove them wrong!" He roared, his men cheering so.

As the group cheered on, however, the child in question was preparing to ruin their victory.

"_**Chidori Nagashi!"**_ Blue lighting surrounded his body. Crackling loudly like a disgruntled beast of lore awakened from a century's long sleep. Sasuke charged ever closer to his target, mentally forcing his body increase the lighting around him. _Though this is a short ranged Jutsu, I need to expand it just enough to give my allies an opening._

With this in mind, Sasuke forced his body and mind to concentrate like never before, the already dazzling lighting that consumed him growing more intense with each passing second. A tingling sensation ran down his left arm, and he cursed under his breath. _Damn it, almost there! _The effort was too much for him, the lighting—now almost blinding—was starting to affect his nerves, his arm now mildly numb.

He was two yards away from the enemy line, and leaped up from the group, spinning in mid-air before coming down in the center of the group, palms held out before him. The soldier cleared the way as he came down and landed in their mist. At that second, the lighting that coursed through his body was sent into the ground before be dispensed all around in a massive circle of crackling fury.

Those unfortunate enough to be caught in its radius were electrocuted instantly. Though the attack, though not fatal, was strong to paralyze its victims, their pain filled screams echoed in the air, stunning the lucky troops in terror.

As the lighting finally died out, thus caught in its web fell to the ground simultaneously, their bodies completely numb from the excruciating pain, leaving a massive gap in the enemy's formation.

Having stored all the energy in his still undeveloped enough body, Sasuke fell to his knees, having taken the worse of it. He could hardly feel his arms and legs, his heart beating uncontrollably.

"_I seriously don't think I could do that again._"

* * *

From across the field, Cao Cao's own forces watched as countless men fell in own swoop. The blue and gold armored troops stood agape, unsure of what they had just witnessed. It was simply breathtaking.

"Wow, where did he learn that trick?" An astonished Xiahou Yuan spat out, his club nearly slipping from his hand.

Xiahou Dun looked on with equal amazement, they boy he had dueled with days ago had just cleared the way for them…by _himself_. "I… don't know what to make of it…"

"Simply magnificent." Was all a stunned Zhang He could say.

For his part, Cao Cao looked on. Though his face remind unreadable as always, he too was shocked by the boy's sudden burst of power. _I was right about you all along Sasuke, you have untapped potential. _"Men, I do believe this is our chance." He declared, raising his sword overhead before pointing it forward, "Sally forth!"

The troops charged as one, smashing into the devastated ranks of the rebels, throwing them further into dismay. The Xiahou brothers cleaved through the ranks, scimitar and club bested foes from all sides. Zhang He himself was close behind, his dance like movements, combined with his razor metal talons, made quick work of ant attackers.

Just as quickly as they meet them, the remaining Turban troops, their moral waning, broke rank and fled, preferring to keep their lives rather then face these juggernauts any longer. The troops cheered in victory, thankful of their young hero.

From atop his horse, Cao Cao rode beside the young Uchiha who was kneeling, surrounded by still paralyzed enemy troops. "Well done young Sasuke, you make an excellent warrior." He side cheerfully, allowing himself a smile, "You seem tired, whatever you just did must have taken much strength to pull off."

"I'll be fine sir," Sasuke heaved, bringing his head up to look back at his lord, "Just give me a few minutes, and I'll be back on my feet."

"Take your time young one; you deserve it for your deed this day."

* * *

Besides the northern gate, the forces at the eastern gate where the most undermined of the entire army, outnumbered by the Turban forces by a three to one margin. Despite the odds, however, Sun Jian's army held out against the tide, the brave men and officers in red fighting for their very lives, much less for the glory of the Han.

"Hold it together boys! We can't give up!" Sun Ce shouted, blocking an incoming sword by crossing his tonfas in front of him. "Nice try," He pushed his attacker back, then knocked him across the face with a left jab, sending him to the ground. "Sakura, do you see my father or Huang Gai anyway?"

Just a few feet behind him, Sakura ducked under the spear of an attacking Turban before whipping out a kunai knife and stabbing her attacker in the leg. He kneeled down in pain, and the pink haired girl stabbed her knife into his throat, blood spewing out and staining the sleeves of her black shirt. "No, I can't seem to-wait, I see your father!" She exclaimed, pointing to the far side of the field.

Following her finger, Sun Ce spotted his father ahead of him. He remained on his steed, swing at the surrounding enemy troops with his tiger sword. "Good eyesight on ya, now let's give him a hand!" The pinked haired girl nodded, and the two of them rushed off to stand by Sun Jian's side, felling any rebels that stood in the way.

From his higher vantage point, the Tiger of Jiang Dong could see the two coming his way. He waved his sword overhead, signaling them, "Ce, Sakura, over here! Give us a hand!" He shouted over the screams of battle.

As the two youngsters drew close, a large group of Turban soldiers rushed in to intercept, swords, spears, and farming tools at the ready. Scuffing, Sun Ce rushed forward ahead of the girl; he spun around on one foot as he drew near, catching five rebels in the face with one powerful roundhouse kick, sending them to the ground and stunning the remaining few.

Twirling the tonfa in his left hand, he struck a Turban in the chest side with the longer end, a crunching noise catching his ears. He then spun around and smashed an attacker's head in with a hard right hook, and the soldier crumpling to the ground.

Sakura, not too far behind her CO, grabbed hold of a spear held by an attacking rebel, pulling him closer and smacking him across the face, the blow forcing the soldier to let go of his weapon. She turned the bladed end of the spear him and thrust it into his stomach, stabbing through soft flesh and hard bone. She pulled the weapon out of her slain victim and turned in time to block a sword wielder with its shaft, before twisting the weapon around and forcing the attacker's weapon to fall from his grip. Discarding her own weapon, Sakura closed the small gap between them and drove a hard fist into the man's chest, the added strength behind the blow enough to send the man flying backwards across the battlefield.

With the forces between them fewer, Sun Jian brought his horse around and rode to the youngsters' side, cutting down any remaining enemies in his way, "Glad you two could make it," He said as he approached, sweat glistening off his face, "Huang Gai went to get the Bombadiers ready, he should be back any minute."

"Bombadiers?" The young Kunoichi had asked, but before she could get her answer, explosions rang out across the battlefield, dust, debris, and Turban soldiers sent flying in the all directions, small fires breaking out. Shaken by the sudden explosions, Sakura looked to the two Suns, relieved grins present on their faces. "Never mind, I have a pretty good idea."

Half a dozen squads of heavily armored troopers came jogging up behind Sun Jian and the others, large leather bags at their backs, which Sakura assumed were full of explosives. The giant, rod wielder was leading them.

"Sorry to keep you waiting milord," Huang Gai said as he drew near. "Hope you three enjoyed the fireworks display." He added with a grin. "It's only just beginning."

"I wouldn't have it any other way old friend," Sun Jian said, turning to his son, "Ce gather your men for a counter attack, and hit them with everything you have once Huang Gai's unit levels the playing field a bit more."

With a cocky grin, the younger Sun responded with a crisp salute, "No problem father, just leave it to us. Let's go Sakura!" He took off to rejoin his unit.

"Right behind you Sun Ce." Sakura replied as she followed him. Things were about to get volatile.

* * *

Leading the forces in the east, Pei Yuanshao was forced to order his remaining troops to fall back and regroup due to the ferocity of the east gate Han troops and their bomb throwing units that devastated their ranks.

"Pull back you idiots! We have to regroup for another attack!" He shouted as more explosions ripped through the air, killing more of his men.

"The enemy bombers aren't letting up, we can't fight under these conditions!" Informed on of his subordinates.

"We must! What would the Great Teacher think of us if we failed here?" Pei Yuanshao grunted irritably, turning his attention back to the battle, "We still have the perfect opportunity to finish the Han dogs forever; we must seize it no matter the cost!"

"_Enemy reinforcements, approaching from the south!_"

The warning came as a surprise to the Turban general. He turned his gaze to the south, spotting an army in green making its way towards their position. "Damn it all! I wasn't expecting this," He groaned, "Looks like we have no choice, signal the retrea-"

A flying objected whizzed by him in a blur, Pei Yuanshao it was some kind of weapon for it had left a small cut across his cheek, blood slowly seeping out of the shallow wound. He looked to where it was thrown from, and amazed that it came from what appeared to be a young teenager girl with pink hair a few yards off.

But that was not what worried him.

The girl was part of a group of red armored soldiers were charging into their mists, trampling over the dead Turbans caught in the Bombadier attacks. The remaining rebels were plowed through, the pink haired girl and the older, tonfa wielding warrior beside her leading the charge deeper into their ranks.

"I got things here Sakura, you handle the enemy leader." Sun Ce ordered; his tonfa gripped arms nothing but furious blurs.

Nodding, Sakura leap into the air at Pei Yuanshao, striking him in the face with well placed kick that knocked him off his horse and sent him rolling across the ground. The young female nimbly landed on her own two feet, startling the enemy troops around her, "I suggest you surrender, you've already lost enough men here." She said, bright green eyes gazing at her enemy intensely.

With a grunt, Pei Yuanshao pushed himself off the ground, grabbing his sword that had fallen from his hand, "I'd rather die then surrender to the Han's lapdogs!"

She sighed, "If that's how you feel, then fine."

Pei Yuanshao charged with a mad war cry, sword up to bare and ready to strike the youth down. Sakura nimbly stepped to the side as the man swung down, his sword missing her by a few inches. She then grabbed him by the arm and with all her might hoisted him over her head and slammed him into the ground.

He screamed out in pain, feeling his spine nearly break in two from the sheer force of the impact. How could a dainty little girl like her have such strength? Was she even human? The girl now stood over her, pivoting her left arm upward, her hand clenched tightly. She threw her arm down, her first impacting with Pei Yuanshao's chest with every bit of strength behind it.

The man could feel his rib caged break from the pressure, the jagged bones sinking into his heart and lungs, causing him to cough up blood. His vision grew fainting, but he could still make out the female standing over her.

_What in Heaven's name…are you…_

* * *

"Lord Sun Jian, are you alright?" Gongsun Zan rode up to the Tiger of Jiang Dong on his horse, his personal guards following close behind, ensuring his safety from any bold attackers.

"I'm fine Lord Gongsun Zan, but why are you here?" Sun Jian asked, surprised by his untimely arrival, "Shouldn't you be guarding the south?"

"My old friend Liu Bei, leader of the volunteer forces, requested that I join you here? We both knew that your forces were badly out numbered, so he decided that you needed the help."

"I appreciate his concern, but wouldn't that leave the southern defenses weakened?" Gongsun Zan did not answer him right away, instead turned to look behind him, possibly to where he came from just moments ago. "Lord Gongsun Zan?"

"Take my word for it Sun Jian; the volunteer forces are _far_ from helpless." Gongsun Zan replied, his face turning slightly pale from the thought.

As the two carried on with their conversation, one of Sun Jian's soldiers approached them, dropping down to one knee before giving his report, "The enemy is on the retreat, our forces are pursuing them even as we speak."

Their attention now on the battle, both generals could see that he was right: The remaining rebels were fleeing, and their combined troops were in hot pursuit, cutting down any who were to slow to escape the slaughter. Sun Jian made his turn and ride forward, Gongsun Zan and his guards followed behind him as he headed for Sun Ce and Sakura up ahead, the body of the enemy unit leader lying at the girl's feet.

"Well done you two, things should go over a little easier now that Gongsun Zan's men are here to help." The older Sun said, smiling in relief, "We should use this time to hit the enemy's main camp, get your men moving."

"We're on it pop!" Ce replied cheerfully, watching as the two general rode off to join their troops in the route, "Come on Sakura, wouldn't do it to keep the men away from the action. He turned to face the girl, but she did not respond, her green eyes staring down at the slain officer. Though the pink bangs made it hard for him to see, "Sakura…you alright?"

"Huh?" Startled, Sakura looked up, emerald eyes looking into the younger man's brown orbs. "Yeah, I'm fine;" She said with a warm smile, "Let's go."

She took of from her place and moved ahead of Sun Ce in a hard jog, her superior following behind. With her back to him Sakura's smile faded away, the jubilant gleam in her eyes gone, replaced by a sense of personal dread.

_I really did it, didn't I? I killed people for the first time… its horrible..._

* * *

Huangfu Song let out a relived sigh; the reports from all fronts were like a blessing to him. Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Sun Jian, and Gongsun Zan had driven the enemy from the east and west gates and were not marching on the enemy main camp, while the volunteers finishing off the remaining Turban forces at the south gate.

"If Dong Zhuo arrives, the peasant army should be able to join us in the final push. We'll need it." He said, glad that this threat was being met with force. "I can only hope that the rumors about Zhang Jiao's sorcery were nothing more then…"

A loud bang rang though the sky above, causing Huangfu Song and his men to look up. Dark clouds had gathered all of the sudden; blocking the sun's rays from the land like some fiendish shutter, only the bright traces of lighting could be seen streaking up above.

And then the rain came down, the heavy mist returning once more.

"It appears the rumors were true," Huangfu Song sighed with regret, but he soon cast it aside and laughed, "But all they did was summon a rain storm, what of it? Captain, gather the troops, we too shall join the battle!"

The captain nodded, and within minutes, the Commander's unit army was prepped and ready for combat, himself seated atop his steed. "Onward!" He roared. The army marched through the castle, moving through the waterway that cut through their base, little concern to them now; they were already soaked from the rainfall.

"Move it men," Huangfu Song barked, "Our allies will need all the help-"

He was cut off when an arrow soared past him from out of nowhere, missing his face by mere inches and striking the soldier beside him. The panicked warning of a private was then heard among them.

"Enemy soldiers! Hiding in the mist-_aughhh_!"

* * *

**Preview:**

**Sakura:** Is this really what war is like? Was this the kind of fighting that Kakashi-Sensei and the others went through in the past? Well, I don't like it, even if it is for the sake of the mission.

**Next Time:** Mists of War

**Sakura:** It's… all so sickening…

* * *

**Last Words from the Shogun:**

Normally, this would end with a _RRT_ segment, but since I don't get as many reviews as before, I've decided to cancel that segment. Sorry if you were expecting a character to come on and reply, but it can't be help.

This chapter took up fifteen pages to complete, my highest page count to date. I'm so proud of myself.

P.S.: Thanks to all those who took the time from their day to read the prologue of _Mystic Civil War_. Hope you stick with it, plenty of surprises are in store.


	7. Chapter 6: Mists of War

**Musou No Jutsu: Redux**

**Summary:** NarutoxDynasty Warriors crossover. Orochimaru, having mastered a Jutsu that allows him to travel through time, arrives in 2nd Century China, where the Age of the Three Kingdoms is about to begin. In order to stop the Sannin, Zuo Ci sends Naruto and his team to the Three Kingdoms after him. Here, a new tale begins.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the rightful property of Kishimoto Masashi, and Dynasty Warriors is the rightful property of both Chinese history and Koei-Tecmo.

* * *

Chapter Six: Mists of War

"Hold tight everyone! We can win this fight!" Liu Bei shouted from atop his steed as he slashed a Turban soldier across the face with his sword. Sheets of rain continued to pour, the combatants drenched and ground beneath their feet turned to mud.

Despite this his green clad men fought hard against the rebel forces by the south gate. Guan Yu stood a few yards off in front of him, fending off dozens of enemy troops with his Blue Dragon. Zhang Fei and Naruto, however, were no where to be seen. _They might be deeper in than us. I hope that they're all right._

Guan Yu spun around with his halberd outstretched and sent four enemy troops behind him flying through the air. He looked up to see Liu Bei seated atop his horse, but turned his hawk like gaze behind him, and his eyes expanded in horror. "Brother, behind you!"

The volunteer army's leader turned behind him and saw a lone rebel archer aim at him with his bow before he released his arrow. Time seemed slow down as the projectile drew closer, the battle at hand sent to the back of Liu Bei's mind, his eyes could only see the arrow approach him—his death sentence mere seconds away.

At that moment a silver blur appeared in front of Liu Bei and knocked the offending projectile back with what looked like a spear in their grip, the arrow soared back to the archer and struck him dead in the chest.

Liu Bei's savior landed on the ground with a resounded _thud_. Spear gripped in his hand, the stainless silver armor and headband he wore, along with a light blue scarf that fluttered in the wind around his left shoulder, and long black hair tied into a thick ponytail made him an astonishing warrior to behold. "Are you all right Lord Liu Bei?" The new warrior asked as he turned to face Liu Bei.

"Yes, thank you." Liu Bei nodded, unsure of whom his savior was. "Tell me, are you the officer Gongsun Zan left to assist us?"

"Yes," The warrior answered with a bow at the waist. "I'm Zhao Yun, style name Zilong, a member of my Lord Gongsun's elite _White Rider _cavalry. My spear is at your side Lord Liu Bei."

Liu Bei allowed himself a small smile, relieved that his old friend had such a talented warrior in his ranks. "I'm glad to have your assistance, but I must locate two of my other allies. I fear they might have gotten over confident in their abilities and charged deeper into the enemy ranks."

"_Hah_!" The familiar cry caught his ear as four more rebels hit the ground at the feet of his horse. Both Liu Bei and Zhao Yun looked up and could see the figures of the two aforementioned officers as the approached Liu Bei. "Sorry if I worried ya brother." Zhang Fei apologized, "I just showing_ Cat Face_ how real men fight."

"You got it backwards _Boozehound_," Naruto retorted, the blade of his sword rested on his shoulder. "_I'm _the one showing _you_ how to fight!"

Liu Bei sighed at the competitive two, ready to silence them when Guan Yu rushed up to the four as beads of sweat rolled down his red face. "The enemy is in retreat brother, and the rest of our allies are on the march for the enemy camp." Liu Bei and the others looked on and could see the remaining rebels retreated as several hundred of their own men gave chase.

"Lord Liu Bei, we should join up with the others and push on through, this battle can be brought to an end." Zhao Yun said.

"Agreed, lets move out everyone!" Liu Bei ordered just as he and the others were about to advance.

"Help…please…" The five warriors turned to a soldier of Huangfu Song's approached them from the fortress. He stopped before Liu Bei, tumbling to his knees in exhaustion before he spoke, "They…they came out of nowhere...as if they lay hidden in the mist…" The man panted. "Lord Huangfu Song is being attacked by the rebels _inside_ the fortress…"

Naruto gawked at the soldier, eyes wide with shock, "No way! They must have broken through the other gates."

"That doesn't seem possible." Zhao Yun responded to the young man. "I've been told that Cao Cao and Sun Jian had beaten the rebels back at the other gates, and that north gate was unharmed in the initial attack."

"We have no time to waste regardless," Guan Yu cut in, "We must go to Huangfu Song's rescue at once, or all our efforts will be in vain."

Liu Bei nodded in agreement, "You are right Guan Yu, I'll send a group of our soldiers to the fortress at once." He turned to the youngest of his three followers, "Naruto, can I ask you to led the rescue effort? You're the fastest among us, and might be Commander Huangfu Song's only hope."

The blonde nodded, "Not to worry Liu Bei, I won't let you down!" He turned about to gather some men for the mission, but not before whirling back to his commanding officer, his trademark grin of confidence across his lips, "Don't worry, I've save him._ Dattebayo_."

Zhao Yun gazed out the youth, his eyebrows raised up in intrigue. _Strange, he knows the seriousness of the situation, and yet shows no signs of falter for his age, interesting._ "Lord Liu Bei, please to accompany the young lad on his mission. Lord Huangfu Song will require all the assistance he can get."

"Alright Zhao Yun, you have my blessing. Best of like to both of you." Liu Bei said, he cracked the reigns on his horse, and the steed race forward, his brother trotting behind him as Zhao Yun went to catch up with Naruto.

"Brother," Guan Yu spoke up as he and Zhang Fei caught up to their mounted brother, "Are you sure that Naruto can handle this? There is no doubt that he is brave and skilled, but still…"I understand your concern Guan Yu," Liu Bei answered, "We've known our young companion for only a short time, and yet I can see the heart good heart he possesses, and the strength behind it." He looked on to Zhang Fei, a pleasant smile across his face, "I believe you can vouch for him Zhang Fei?"

The muscular fighter scuffed at his question, he turned his head away, silent for a brief moment before he answered with a snarl on his face. "Yeah, I guess so. But that still doesn't mean that I like 'em."

The virtuous leader chuckled. His brother may say that now, but sooner or later he would open up to the young lad. The three brothers caught up with the rest of their troops and headed off to join up with their allies just as a lone horseman, clad in imperial purple armor, rode up to the volunteer army. His spear in his hand rose overhead, beckoning for their attention.

Liu Bei steered his horse toward the man and stopped right before him, "Yes, what is it?" He asked.

"I am Hua Xiong, follower of Lord General Dong Zhuo." The man said with urgency laced in his tone of voice, "My lord's forces are engaged with the rebels just south of here, but we're out numbered, we need assistance at once."

"Understood, I shall gather my men at once. I can only hope that your leader can holed to we arrive." With that, Liu Bei ordered his men further southward from their position and raced aside Hua Xiong to their Ally's rescue, his oath brothers and troops strode behind him.

* * *

"This rain must have been _their_ doing," Cao Cao's steed rode beside those of Sun Jian and Gongsun Zan as a sea of blue, red, green and yellow marched from the northern gates of the fortress towards the position of the main Yellow Turban force. The ground beneath their feet soaked from the ever persistent rainstorm that hindered their march "Perhaps they wish to by themselves time to reorganize their forces. I must say that they're doing a fine job so far."

"We should halt our advance for the time being and wait for Dong Zhuo's troops to get here." Suggested Gongsun Zan, "Even though we survived their initial attack, we're still unprepared for a direct assault, and we suffered heavy losses as well all ready."

"I agree with Master Gongsun Zan," Sun Jian spoke up, strands of his wet white hair patted his face, "Who knows what awaits us if we press on."

Cao Cao closed his eyes, contemplating the two men's words. They were both concerned for the well being of their soldiers, he respected them for that, but that would get them nowhere in the long run. Affirmative action was needed to win, but if the two of them still held on to their decision's he would have to lead the attack alone, an action only a fool would commit. "If you two insist, halt the men."

Within moments the order had been given and the entire force halted the march, droplets of water pattered against their armored bodies. Beside his lord's steed, Xiahou Dun let out a slight grunt at the lack of action, his scimitar upside down in the ground as he rested his hands on the hilt. "Cousin, I say we should go on without these two, their only holding as back. These rebels offer no _real _challenge in the slightest; we can wipe them out on our own."

"They just summoned a rainstorm, or haven't you noticed." Irritated, Dun looked behind him and noticed the young raven haired fighter approach them while his brother Yuan followed behind him, the look on the former's face showed fatigue, no doubt from the spectacle feat he had performed earlier in the battle. "Who knows what they're capable of? I think Cao Cao and the others have the right idea."

"That's _Lord_ Cao Cao to you boy," Xiahou Dun said, glaring down at Sasuke with contempt "you better remember that if you wish to remain at his side."

Sasuke shrugged him off and walked past him, not in the mood for another fight with him at the moment. _Why do I have to waste my time with these people? _He asked in his mind, unsure of what the old sage planned for them. _Orochimaru is the man we're after, he's threatening everything back home. So why did Zuo Ci send us to help these people with this rebellion? It doesn't make any sense._

"Hey Sasuke!" A firm hand grabbed his shoulder, and Sasuke turned to see Xiahou Yuan beside him with his usual friendly smile. "Sorry 'bout Brother Dun's outburst." He said, "But he is right ya know, give our lord some more respect."

"Thanks Yuan, but that's not really the problem," Sasuke replied, "The thing is I have something else on my mind, something more important to me than this whole uprising."

"Really?" Yuan asked with curiosity, "What would that be?"

Sasuke did not answer him right away; he turned his away from Xiahou Yuan, as if the formation of soldiers suddenly became of interest to him. Perhaps that was not the best choice of words, but the Uchiha Shinobi could not tell him the truth. Even if he could trust Cao Cao and his officers, would they really be of use if they were to prevent the rouge Sannin's plans?

"Sasuke, I'd thought I find you here." When the feminine voice reached their ears, Sasuke and Yuan turned to their heads to see a young pinked haired girl come their way, they both notice the son of Sun Jian move beside her as well. "Lord Sun Jian seems concerned," She said with worry laced in her tone of voice. "We haven't received any words from the main force inside the base."

"Must be the rain or somethin' like that." Yuan said.

Sun Ce shook his head, "I doubt that, maybe we should send someone to find out, just to be sure. Its possible the enemy found a way inside."

"I'll check on it." Sasuke replied, thankful for the interruption to the previous conversation as he moved past the three towards the north gate.

"He seems like a moody kinda guy, is he always like that?" Sun Ce asked.

Sakura looked to him, "He had a…tragic experience as a child, so he usually keeps his real feelings to himself. But really he's a good guy once you get to know him."

Xiahou Yuan sighed, "Too bad he won't give anyone the chance."

"You should go with him Sakura; I'd hate to be right about the enemy's plans." Sun Ce said.

"Right," Nodded Sakura as she ran after Sasuke, she stopped just beside him and matched his speed. The two Shinobi raced to the northern gate in silence, but as they stopped just before the heavy iron double doors the kunoichi spoke. "Sasuke-Kun, didn't Zuo Ci-San say that the warriors here might be able to help us stop Orochimaru?" She asked, when she received a slight nod from the boy she continued, "In that case, we all should try to befriend everyone here for things to go smoothly."

"Being here and helping these people is pointless." Sasuke replied, not taking the trouble to look her in the eyes. "The longer we mess around here the closer Orochimaru is to completing his plans. We need to find and stop him as soon as possible."

"Why do you think that? Does the have anything to do with-"

"What happened with me and Naruto that time has _nothing_ to do with the mission!" He turned to her at that instant; his black eyes looked into her green eyes with intense scornfulness. "What I did two and a half years ago was stupid, I admit it, but that doesn't mean I accepted this mission to make amends. All of Konoha wants Orochimaru dead, and that's exactly what I intend to give them."

Sakura looked at him; her eyes looked back at him with tender sympathy. "Right, I'm sorry for bringing it up."

The Han troops stationed at the gate looked on in silence at the two youngsters, unsure of what they were discussing. The Uchiha turned to them and spoke with a tone of authority, "Any word from General Huangfu Song?"

The captain shook his head, "None sir, we've yet hear from him since the battle started."

Sakura looked at the man with worry, "Open the gate, we've been given orders to check up on him."

The captain followed the order and turned to the gate, giving the order to open; the massive double doors moaned aloud as they swung inward. Everyone looked inside, but only found the fortress interior masked by the mysterious mist from before, a chill of dread went down the two Ninjas' spines.

Sasuke growled, "You wait here." He said as he and Sakura rushed into the mist, Sun Ce might have been right.

* * *

Huangfu Song's face twisted in grimace as he watched the last of his men gutted before him, the soldier screamed out in agony before his head fell back into the water, which flowed with crimson liquid. The Yellow Turban's courageous ambush caught him off guard, and now his troops lay dead in the waterway, and he slumped against the wall in a bloodied and beaten mess, surrounded by dozens of rebel troops.

"The age of the Han has ended," Gloated the unit leader as he turned to Huangfu Song and raised his pike at him, a sinister smile on his face, "Long live the Yellow Turba-"

A knife like projectile flew out from the mist and struck the man's throat, silencing him forever. Huangfu Song and the other rebels turned to the direction it came from just as a group of green clad troops charged appeared out of the heavy fog and attacked; a young blonde and older man in silver armor led the charge.

Zhao Yun, spear in hand, leaped into the air with a rapid spin before he landed in front of three stunned Turban soldiers. He jabbed the first enemy through the stomach, he spun on his heel and swiped at the last two at their chests and side stepped the spray of blood with grace.

Two spearmen swung at him from high and low, but Zhao Yun cart wheeled through the gap between the two weapons and landed behind them. He turned around with speed and smacked the first man across the face with the butt of his weapon, the blow sent him to the ground as the second man rushed at him to attack, but Zhao Yun leaned back and let the spear tip pass him by before he knocked the weapon from his hand and brought him down with a horizontal slash.

Naruto watched the silver armored man fight, quite impress with his abilities, and glad to have him at his side. He snapped out of the spectacle and returned his mindset to the enemies before him. He ducked as a Turban soldier swung a pitchfork at him before he rose up with a simultaneous slash to the man's chest. The Shinobi then reached into the weapons pouched strapped to his leg, pulled out two shuriken and sent threw them; the star shaped weapons stabbed themselves into the face of an unfortunate Turban soldier.

Awareness altered him to a threat from behind, and the blonde spun around just in time to block a sword swipe from another Turban soldier before he shoved the man back. He aimed his weapon at the man's wrist, his blade cut through flesh, muscle, and bone as the solider screamed out in pain, his hand falling from his bleeding stump. Without hesitation, Naruto drove his blade into his throat and put an end to his pain.

As Zhao Yun and Naruto fought on, two green clad troops rushed to the fallen general's side, lifted him up by his arms and dragging him away from the ensuing skirmish. "Sir, are you okay?" One of them asked.

"I've been beaten like a dog, but I'll live." Huangfu Song winched. "What news from the front?"

"Cao Cao, Sun Jian, and Gongsun Zan's troops our approaching the position of the enemy's main force, and the volunteer forces went to assist Lord Dong Zhuo."

"Good," The Han commander said with relief, "I want this battle over and done with before anymore of our men are slain."

Dozens of more rebels poured out from the mist, and Naruto rushed to stand beside Zhao Yun, his sword held up before him for to meet them head on. "You sure know how to use that stick." He said with a confident smirk.

Zhao Yun chuckled, "You are most impressive as well my young friend."

The enemy troops charged, prepared to slay the two fighters in the name of the Yellow Dragon. But in an instant, a massive wave of flames washed over the enemy and consumed them in its fiery fury. Their screamed reached out to the heavens as the fires burned away at them. Naruto, Zhao Yun, and the other soldiers, stunned by what had just transpired, watched as the fires dispersed, and two figures emerged from the mist and the corpses.

Naruto smiled wide when he saw who their rescuers were, "Sasuke, Sakura-Chan, nice timing!"

"I wasn't expecting you here, Dope." Sasuke said as he lowered his arms after he formed his hand seal. "Everything is under control now, right?"

"The commander is still alive if that's what you mean." Naruto said, "Me and Zhao Yun here," He gestured to the spear wielder beside him, "We got to him just in time. _Dateebayo_."

"These are your friends I assume." Zhao Yun said and bowed to the two youngsters. "I am Zhao Yun, an officer under Lord Gongsun Zan."

"Haruno Sakura," The girl introduced as she returned his bow, "A pleasure to meet you." She gestured to the dark haired youth beside her, "And this is..."

"Uchiha Sasuke." He interrupted, "If you don't mind, we have a battle to win." At that moment, the rainstorm that had washed over the battlefield halted, the clouds above and fog around them disappeared, and beams of sun light hit them with their warm embrace. "Well that's perfect timing." The Uchiha joked as he stared up into the clear blue sky. The entire Imperial group looked up as well, as if some malevolent force that had burdened them had been lifted.

* * *

Zhang Liang and his fellow sorcerers, knowing that their bold ambush had failed, undid their rain magic; the sun new gleamed overhead, and the General of the People sighed. The infidels had bested them here, he knew, and many of his men had fallen as a result. Worst of all, he could still sense the omnipotent presence from earlier, the sensation it radiated made him want to hurl.

_Whatever this thing is, we are no match for this force at the moment._ He mulled over as he turned to one of his lieutenants. "Give the order to retreat, we've lost this battle." He ordered.

"But sir is that wise?" The lieutenant asked, "What about the unknown threat you spoke of?"

"We cannot handle it as we are; we'd be destroyed without mercy. But show no concern my child…" Zhang Liang turned away from the man, he watched as the Imperials resumed their march on their position, they wanted him dead. "My Brother's power will soon scatter this threat like dust, along with the rest of the Han followers." The order spread to the troops, and soon the Turban forces turned about and fled the field just as the Han Army reached their position.

A thunderous cheer rose up to the heavens, The Han would live to fight another day!

* * *

With the battle over, dozens of men went about the battlefield, searching for wounded to be treated, and gathered the dead for proper burial. To every officer's amazement, they had suffered far less casualties than they had feared, which meant that the fight for the Central Plains could continue.

For the time being, however, Naruto proceeded through the camp of the volunteer army, his teammates and newly made friend had long returned to their respective masters. Blue eyes looked about as soldiers went about, some took care of the injured, prepared for the next battle, and bolstered their defenses in the event the enemy attack once more.

He pasted by several rows of dead soldiers, Imperial and Turban alike, ready to be buried. Many of the Turbans, much to his misfortune, he recognized as those that died at his hands. It sent a chill down his spine, never in his young life had he seen so many slain, even the death toll from Orochimaru's attack on the village appeared miniscule compared to the battle. Would he have to watch so many lose their lives again? Would he be among their number some day?

He shook the thoughts from his head; he opted not to think of such things.

"What, your only mere peasants? Then how dare you speak to me!" The uproar caught his ears, and turned to the source. He found Liu Bei and his brothers ahead of him, they were talking to someone. He jogged up a little closer behind them and saw who was screamed.

"You commoners have some never to disgrace me like this!" The man, dressed in all purple, appeared obsessed beyond compared, with a hideous beard and pig like face; a nauseous sensation crept over Naruto's body.

Liu Bei, who took the blunt of his harsh words, bowed at the waist in a respectful manner. "Lord Dong Zhuo, please be reasonable." He said. "We may be only a peasant army, but had we'd not intervened, you would have fallen here."

"I'd rather be dead than saved by you lowly worms." Dong Zhuo scuffed, he turned to the officer beside him. "Hua Xiong, I'm holding you responsible for this."

"Forgive me sire," The officer begged and he eyes darted to the three brothers with contempt, "Leave at once peasants, my lord has no need for the likes of you!"

"Listen you fat you piece of garbage! You got some nerve to shove us to the side after we just saved your life!" Zhang Fei barked, eyes on Dong Zhuo with a hateful glint within them. "Maybe we should have just left ya to die!"

"You dare speak to me like that! Oh you'll pay, you'll pay big!" Dong Zhuo reached for the sword strapped to his side and unsheathed it. The brothers and Naruto saw the jagged teeth all along the bladed side, like the fangs of some wild, bloodthirsty animal. The large warlord raised the weapon over his head, prepared to swing it down on the drunk.

Zhang Fei tensed the muscles in his body, ready to catch the weapon with his bare hands. Liu Bei and Guan Yu tried to protest, but Dong Zhuo ignored them and swung his weapon downward. At that moment, a small knife like weapon struck his wrist; Dong Zhuo yelped out in pain and dropped his sword. He then looked up to see whoever threw the small blade.

Liu Bei and the others turned around and spotted their young blonde companion behind them, his arm outstretched, indicating that the weapon thrown was his. "I don't what's going on here, but_,_" He spoke said, blue eyes looking back at Dong Zhuo with disdain, "Don't you _ever_ threaten those three again, got it fat man?"

His words earned him a bestial growl from the warlord "You impudent brat!" Dong Zhuo turned away from them and walked off, his loyal warrior strode close behind him. He had no time for the likes of them.

With a heavy sigh, Liu Bei Looked back the young fighter before him, a small smile across his lips. "Thank you Naruto, Brother Zhang Fei could have gotten us all in trouble." He said as Zhang Fei let out a disgruntled huff. "Tell me, was the rescue successful?"

He nodded, "Yeah that Huangfu Song guy got really beaten up, but he'll live. Like the rest of us." He looked ahead of the three and saw Dong Zhuo's retreat form. "Who was that fat guy anyway?"

"Dong Zhuo, the governor of Hedong," Guan Yu answered him, "He replaced an old teacher of Brother Liu Bei as an Imperial Corps Commander some time before. He's an arrogant and selfish man."

"And ungrateful for sure, I mean really, what a jerk." Naruto added, already he despised the man. "Liu Bei, why was he so upset with you?"

"After we rescued him from the Yellow Turbans, we escorted him back here and informed him that we had no position or merit within the Han." Liu Bei began, a small part of him sadden by the governor's actions. "He seems to looks down on the lower classes and has denied recognizing us for our services."

The angered Zhang Fei darted his narrow eyes back at the Governor, "That fat basterd had no right to insult you like that Brother Liu Bei! Just give me five minutes with him and I'll-"

"Don't say such things Zhang Fei; I know what you're thinking." Liu Bei snapped his head to his brother, his eyes filled with hardened refusal, "We did not join the army for glory. Our reason for it was to end the rebellion, remember that."

"But Brother-"

"He is right Zhang Fei; we cannot abandon our dream of restoring the Han." Guan Yu agreed. "Let us go and prepare for the coming battles."

With a nod of agreement, Liu Bei walked past Naruto and made his way back to his troops; the blonde's blue eyes watched the man with awe. Even when treated like a dog he still held an up right posture which signified his humility. He smirked; he really respected the guy.

"Zhang Fei has informed us of another of your abilities Naruto," Guan Yu said with nonchalant, "Go and get some rest, you've earned it." He strode past him as well and caught up with their virtuous leader. Even with all of his skills, Naruto was only a child compared to these men. He could never match them.

"So _Cat Face_, How did ya do?"

_Well, maybe this guy at least. _"Seventy-six Boozehound."

"Ha! Eighty-Two, meaning I win!"

"…What!"

* * *

"This is just horrible." Sakura and Sun Ce watched as their men gathered the dead that littered the field, the rain that had come down on them before only added to the horrific stench the flared their nostrils. The girl's face twisted into a grimace.

"I know…no one should have to live like this." Sun Ce said, also saddened by the scene as he slid an arm around the girl's shoulder in a soothing gesture. The blush that overcame her face went unnoticed to him. "I can't stand this as much as you, but we have to endure it a while longer."

Sakura nodded, watched as two soldiers lifted the remains of a burned Turban soldier. "You're right Sun Ce, even though I wish you weren't."

"Sun Ce, Sakura," The two youngsters turned to see their leader approach them with Huang Gai at his side. Sakura slipped from Ce's grasp, she did not her lord to get the wrong impression. "You two fought well this day, I'm proud of both of you." Sun Jian said with a grin.

"Thank you sir, I was only doing my best." Sakura bowed.

"So what's next father, are we making for Zhang Jiao's location?" Sun Ce asked, he hoped to bring the instigator of the rebellion down soon.

"Don't worry my son; we'll get to him soon, but we have new orders." Sun Jian informed them as he recalled the orders from Commander Huangfu Song, who was recovering in the infirmary, had told him. "We're to meet with Commander Zhu Jun to help bring down a Turban fortress. We leave soon."

"No problem father," Ce grinned, he gave his father a crisp salute, and "Sakura and I will get the men ready."

The youth turned and jogged of to get the troops ready, his pink haired subordinate follow behind him. "Your son seems as eager as usual to fight." Huang Gai said as he and Sun Jian watched the two youngsters move off.

Sun Jian chuckled, "He can't help that he enjoys a fight, Shang Xiang has that same problem."

* * *

Sasuke looked across the field; he counted the many dead soldiers that littered its red soaked grounds. Naruto and Sakura would have been greatly affected by the sight of so many killed, but not him. He had seen the slain before, his brother had shown him that, by killing the rest of their family. He had no sympathy for the end of lives here, he had only his goals in mind, and nothing will distract him from them.

"You don't seem too stunned by this in the slightest, considering your age." He looked up and saw Cao Cao stand over him, his eyes on the many bodies as well. "You are a mysterious youth."

Sasuke returned his gaze back to the scene, "I've seen corpses before sir." He said.

"Though nothing on this scale I assume?"

"..."

Cao Cao snickered, "Do not think for a moment that I cannot see the flaws underneath your exterior."

"Didn't you say I had untapped potential?"

"Of course, but no man is without his flaws, and yours my young friend is that you relay on a single emotion in all of your actions, regardless of the situation."

"And what do you think that emotion is?"

"You tell me."

Sasuke remained silent, dark eyes on his Chinese leader. What was it about the man that perplexed him so much? He moved with an air of exuberance, as if he could not be touch by none in the world. He talked about people's flaws, and yet none of his own were present on him. "I…can't say for sure what drives me. But why is that a flaw?"

"Abusing such a flaw will lead to ruin, you look like someone who can understand that. Some don't posses the strength to overcome theirs, and yet they still receive privileges. I despise that about our world. Remember when I said that would not let my career end where it is now?"

"Yeah, you have something planned?"

"I plan on building a world where those with talent, not birthright, will rise to greatness. And for that I need my followers to overcome their own flaws and be examples of my vision." He turned his head to the shinobi, his dark eyes starred back at his own, his gaze sunk into Sasuke soul and the boy's body shook from the sheer magnitude they possessed. "Tell me Sasuke, can you do the same?"

"Cousin," The voice of Xiahou Dun reached them, and both Cao Cao and Sasuke looked to meet the battle harden officer approach them. "We've been ordered to meet with Commander Zhu Jun alongside Sun Jian; he requests help in bringing down a Yellow Turban fortress to the northeast."

"Very well, prepare the men for battle." Cao Cao ordered as he walked off to oversee the readiness of his troops. "Sasuke, I have great expectations for you." He called out. "You'd best meet them."

The Uchiha stared at his master, silent for a moment before replied, "Understood sir."

* * *

"You wish for my men to go with Sun Jian and Cao Cao sir?" Liu Bei stood before the Han Commander, how sat upright on his bed in the infirmary, dressed in a white garment with several bandages across his face.

"Yes," Huangfu Song nodded, "I was told that the young blonde who saved my served under you, and that you saved Dong Zhuo at the end of the battle. With such men and gusto, I was a fool not to invite to my meeting earlier."

"No need to dwell on the past Lord Huangfu Song, I dedicated my life to the Han and the people of China. I only wish to see an end to he Yellow Turbans and for peace to return to us all."

"Good to hear, please ready your men, the others leave soon."

"Yes my lord." With a bow, Liu Bei turned and left the infirmary and made his way back to his troops. So sending Naruto to the Commander's aid was the best course of action after all. The boy had proven to be a seasoned warrior despite his age, as if he had seen battle at a younger age. In such turbulent trouble times Liu Bei could understand why, but still, the boy hid something from them.

_Naruto, my brothers and I sense that you are keeping something from us. But I will not pres on the matter for the time being, I'm sure you shall tell us when you're ready. Even so, I'm still glad to have you on my side._

* * *

Kakashi let out a pitiful moan as he opened his eyes, his vision a blur, but cleared with a few blinks. The sky and clouds were above him, had they escaped?

"Well look who's finally awake." Kakashi rose to a sitting position and turned to see Anko kneeled beside him while Asuma and Gai stood behind her.

"What happened?" The silver haired Jounin asked as he rubbed the back of his sore head.

"Orochimaru left a little trap back down their, nearly blasted you and Anko to bits." Asuma informed him, a cigarette hung in his mouth. "We heard the explosion and rushed down as fast as we could, and by the time we found you the whole damn place started collapsing on us."

Gai looked down at his white haired rival with his trademark and threw Kakashi a thumbs up. "You owe me for this Kakashi."

Kakashi ignored him, however, and turned his normal and Sharingan eyes to Anko, "What about the map?" He asked.

With a smirk, Anko pulled a rolled up parchment from her sleeve and presented to him, "No worries, it got scorched at the corner, but otherwise it's still intact."

"Good, we need to get that back to Tsunade-Sama." Kakashi said as he shot back up to his feet, the aches that ran through his body thanks to the rouge Sannin's trap made apparent. "Orochimaru used that map to find the Time Travel Jutsu, and wherever he found _that_, he must have found some other dangerous secrets."

"If that's the case," Gai said, his voice dropped low from the seriousness of his rival's words. "It sounds like your team is in trouble."

Kakashi nodded in agreement, "I know, that's why I hope that whatever we find will be of some use to them."

* * *

**Preview:**

**Naruto:** What the…Ghost? _Real_ Ghost! How did they summon them? And what's with this wind! Ah, these Turban guys don't know when to quit!

**Next Time:** The Fortress

**Naruto:** Fine, whatever they throw at us I'll through back a thousand fold!

* * *

**Last Words from The Shogun:**

Chapter title was changed, I thought it made more sense. I'd also, not to sound petty mind you, appreciate a few more reviews for the prequel if its not too much to ask.**  
**


	8. Chapter 7: The Fortress

**Musou No Jutsu: Redux**

**Summary:** NarutoxDynasty Warriors crossover. Orochimaru, having mastered a Jutsu that allows him to travel through time, arrives in 2nd Century China, where the Age of the Three Kingdoms is about to begin. In order to stop the Sannin, Zuo Ci sends Naruto and his team to the Three Kingdoms after him. Here, a new tale begins.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the rightful property of Kishimoto Masashi, and Dynasty Warriors is the rightful property of both Chinese history and Koei-Tecmo.

* * *

Chapter Seven: The Fortress

Naruto strapped on his golden chestplate as he stepped out of his tent, his fellow volunteer soldiers were already preparing themselves for the battle that was to come. The sky above them was clear and pretty, but he learned that tranquility was brief in this time. Many of the men here would disappear, just like in the previous battle. He pushed the thought from his mind, no point in thinking about such things.

"Well look who decided to show," He recognized the voice of Zhang Fei, and spotted both him and Guan Yu at the edge of their army's section of the camp, their respective weapons in hand. "What kept ya _Cat Face_?" An inpatient Zhang Fei asked.

"I was getting dressed, not chugging down booze like you _Boozehound_. I'm amazed that _you're_ here." Naruto countered, and he watched as Zhang Fei mumbled something incomprehensible and turn away as he pulled out his wine jug. _I think I'm starting to see how I made Sasuke feel when we were younger. _"Anyway, where's Liu Bei, I thought he would be with you guys."

"He is with General Zhu Jun in the war room, overseeing the plan of attack on the Yellow Turban's fortress. He'll be with us shortly with our orders." Guan Yu answered, "For now though, you should probably go and eat, you'll need your strength for this difficult battle."

"No need to tell me twice _Heavy Beard_, I'm starving!" The blonde Shinobi chuckled as he left the two oath brothers for the mess hall. The long bearded warrior watched the boy walk off, he sensed the anxiety of the imminent assault loom over Naruto, but he also sensed the same air of confidence the youth exuded like always.

"Naruto is an odd one, but I am glad to have him as an ally." He turned to his brother, who had already downed the last ounces of his wine, "Perhaps you should try to get along with him Zhang Fei, maybe then he'll stop calling you _Boozehound_."

"I'll stop…hatin' his guts when he learns to respect a real man!" Zhang Fei's speech was slurred.

"Try to understand that it is _his_ generation that will lead the new era of China, as such we should serve as examples of the virtues Liu Bei strives to restore in the Han. The land does not need anymore of the corrupt aristocrats that run rampant within the Imperial Court."

"The kid needs to learn how to strive on his own two feet, not be handed everything to him on a silver platter like that Yuan Shao or Dong Zhuo!"

"Brother Liu Bei is of Imperial blood, but he did not have such luxuries as they did."

"What's ya point?"

"Not all great men come from noble upbringings; we swore an oath to Liu Bei because of his honor, not of his birthright. You, Naruto, and I are the same as well."

"Yeah I guess, but I still say that he should stop callin' me_ Boozehound_."

* * *

Soldiers from the four armies filled the mess hall, chatting and laughing away when Naruto entered and got his own breakfast. He saw soldiers, doctors, smithies, and many other servants from the four units seated together in several different groups, some with their respective armies, while others were a mixed lot.

He looked down to his own bowl of food, a medium sized helping of rice mixed with bits of meat, pork he guessed, and sighed. _What I'd do for some ramen right now…_

"Hey Naruto, over here!" When he heard the voice, he looked up and saw Sakura at the table across the room, occupied by her and Sun Ce, who he had met after the last battle.

He raced over to their table and took a seat beside the pink haired girl, "Hey guys," He said with a smile, "I wasn't expecting you two here, I thought you'd be eating with the other officers and whatnot."

"I prefer to eat with my men whenever I get the chance; helps strengthen the bond between all of us." Sun Ce told him as he put a clump of rice in his mouth and swallowed, "Sakura thought it was nice and decided to come along too, so we're both here, showing that every one of us is an equal here."

At those words, Naruto, from the corner of his, saw Sakura's cheeks blush red—from embarrassment he suspected—and he let out a slight laugh before he leaned in closer and whispered in her ear, _"I knew it; you _do _have the hots for this guy." _Several seconds later, Naruto found himself sitting beside Sun Ce, a large, blackish bruise around his right eye. "I'm sorry."

Sun Ce grinned at the their antics, "Were you two lovers or something?"

"No, of course not!" Naruto and Sakura blurted out in unison, both red in the face.

"Well, you could have fooled me with those antics." The Sun warrior teased.

"So anyway," Sakura began, quick to change the subject, "Anyone know why we're here to begin with? I mean, we get pulled out right after our last battle with the Yellow Turbans and get sent here."

"From what I've heard from Grand General Zhu Jun's lieutenants, The Yellow Turbans have an undermanned fortress out here that they use as a supply depot for their main headquarters. If we take the fortress, we'll weaken Zhang Jiao's forces for the final assault." Sun Ce informed them, "The Problem, though, is that they managed to beat back every attack he's thrown at them so far."

"If they're undermanned, how is that possible?" Naruto asked.

"I've talked to the surviving soldiers of the previous attacks about that, and they all said the enemy is using sorcery to make up for their lack of numbers." Answered Sun Ce, he kept his voice low so as not to worry the soldiers who might be eavesdropping on their conversation. "They told me that they summoned the spirits of fallen Han troops to attack them, and that have control of the winds to drive them back."

"Considering what happen last time, I'm not surprised." Said Sakura as she recalled the fog and rainstorm that almost came from nowhere that day, "Does the general think that another frontal assault will make a difference this time?"

"I'm not too worried Sakura-Chan, we have way better leaders and warriors with us, they'll need more than magic to stop us." Naruto assured her, his trademark grin stretched across his face.

"I'm with you on that buddy." Sun Ce agreed with a grin of his own. "We have the better reason to win this war, and there's nothing those rebels can do to beat us."

Sakura sighed, amazed by the confidence of the two boy's before here, "Your right, we _can_ win this."

* * *

The sounds of several arrows hitting their marks echoed across the shooting range as Cao Cao's archers practiced their shots for the battle. These men were no pushovers; Sasuke observed from his place on the far side of the range, for the ever practical Xiahou Yuan, along with several archery captains, oversaw each man's performance.

The men were skilled marksmen, especially their leader Yuan who might, the Uchiha believed, match up to Tenten's own skills with projectile weapons, "My boys aren't too bad, huh Sasuke?" Xiahou Yuan called out to him, to which Sasuke shrugged.

"Nothing compared to you I bet." He joked, his usual cold disposition softened somewhat, "Still, their pretty good with those things, I'll give them that."

"How about you then, I'd like to see you try your hand at it." Before he could turn him down, Xiahou Yuan grabbed a spare bow and a quiver of arrows from a rack beside him and tossed them over to Sasuke. The shinobi managed to catch without problem, but he eyed the things with a questioned expression.

"Alright Yuan, I'll give it a try." With a sigh Sasuke stepped forward, he adjusted the quiver onto his back as he stopped beside the other archers. The bow felt clumsy in his hands, and the concept of firing a projectile in a way unlike a kunai or a shuriken was still new to him. _This might be helpful on my mission._ He thought. _Moreover, it gives me another way of killing Itachi._

He shut his eyes, and a few seconds later reopened them, their usual black color now replaced with the blood red color of his clan's unique technique. _My Sharingan should make this a bit easier._ He glanced over to one of the archers beside him, his red eyes took in every detail of the man's stance, the way he held and aimed his weapon, and the way he fired.

He turned forward once again and reached for one of the arrows, lined it up with the bow and pulled back on the string and aiming at the target at the far end. He let go of the string, and the arrow flew off forward, piercing near the center of the target a second later.

"Nice shot kid!" Yuan complemented as the men around him began to applaud, "A few inches off from perfect, but still not bad for your first try."

"Thanks." Sasuke replied simply.

"Okay boys that'll do, get ready for the real thing when our lord comes back!" At Yuan's command, the archers lowered their bows and gathered up their gear as they dispersed until only Sasuke and Yuan remained. "I heard that the rebels here are using some kind of magic to defend their fort, guess that's why General Zhu Jun needed our help." The Xiahou archer told him.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the man's words, "You really believe that?"

"Considering that crazy thing you did with the lighting last time, is it really that farfetched?"

"But it's still a relatively small force we're up against, that magic of theirs is going to have to give in eventually."

"That's what our leader thought, but have you seen the dead and wounded? It ain't pretty kid. Personally I think this might end up as a suicide battle."

"No use worrying about it for the time being Yuan, once Cao Cao comes back he'll have a plan of attack for us." The young Uchiha boy tossed the bow and quivers back to Yuan as he walked past him, making for his tent.

As he left the shooting range, he heard Yuan give out a hearty laugh before the man shouted over his shoulder, "I like you kid, you have no worries about this kinda stuff, and that really impresses me."

Sasuke did not reply, but he still smirked at his words.

* * *

"The enemy stronghold is just south of our current position, right here." Spoke General Zhu Jun of the Imperial army as he pointed to the enemy location on the map, "Though we have the numerical advantage, we've been unable to gain any significant ground. We must take this stronghold _today_ before the final battle begins."

Cao Cao, Sun Jian, and Liu Bei sat around the table of the war room; they listened to the general's overview of the situation, they had heard the tales of the enemy's use of sorcery and considered the best way to approach the battlefield.

"From the looks of the terrain, there's no other way to bypass the positions the enemy has taken up, and sending our entire force at them will only cause more casualties. Therefore, I recommend that we send in small units first to try and stop this magic." Cao Cao recommended.

"Sending in a smaller force would only mean the same as if we sent a larger one," Liu Bei said, "With due respect Master Cao Cao, but I fail to see what will be accomplished with such a gambit."

"I've heard of the accomplishments our some of your men, Liu Bei; I think it only wise to send our best troops to complete this task." Cao Cao said as he turned to Sun Jian, "Do you not agree Sun Jian?"

"If a small, elite force has a better chance to turn the tide in our favor, then I must go with Cao Cao's advice." Sun Jian agreed.

"Very well then, Cao Cao's army will be positioned east while Sun Jian in the west. As for the Volunteers…" The General's eyes rolled, with some disdain, on Liu Bei, "They shall serve as the vanguard, once the enemy's magic is disposed of, send word to the other commanders to march."

Liu Bei noticed the contempt behind Zhu Jun's words. It was at of the behest of General Huangfu Song that he was here, which did not sit well with his current commander, who held the same lack of respect for an army of peasants that Dong Zhuo had. Nevertheless, Liu Bei bowed his head with the other commanders before they left to ready their men for battle.

"Sounds like your army will have to be in two places at once Liu Bei," Sun Jian, who strolled beside Liu Bei, remarked, "I wonder if your mean can handle it."

"Zhu Jun treats us like cannon fodder, but regardless men soldiers will complete this task." Liu Bei said assuredly. "I will divide my forces into two and march down both fronts; once we have brought down their magic I will notify the two of you so that you may proceed."

Cao Cao, who strode on ahead of the two, stopped suddenly, and the other two lords halted as well in surprise, "Zhu Jun is sending you and your men to your deaths, and you're fine with that?" He queried as he turned to face Liu Bei, "Liu Bei, do you think of your life so little?"

"Of course not Master Cao Cao, but I will do what must be done in order to end this rebellion." Replied Liu Bei, thrown off by Cao Cao's words.

"You are not the only man with plans for the future, quelling this uprising will not solve _all _of the lands problems, and those capable of changing things must survive this mess." _Besides, perhaps you will be of use to me one day. _"I will send some of my soldiers to assist you in the east, Lord Sun Jian; I suggest you give him your troops as well in the west."

When Liu Bei turned his eyes to Sun Jian, the red downed man nodded in agreement with Cao Cao. Perhaps they both thought the same thing about Zhu Jun's orders to the Volunteers, such a pitiful view of Liu Bei's soldiers was somewhat bothersome to the two of them. "I am grateful to the two of you." Liu Bei bowed to the two of them, "May we all live through these turbulent times."

* * *

Luoyang had fallen under hard times, the many natural disasters and famine brought a great misery to the people who called the Imperial Capitol home, for they feared that the revolts across the country would one day soon be upon their doorsteps._ How unfortunate for me to be among such commoners._ Was the bitter thought of Zhang Rang, one of the Emperor's Ten Eunuchs, as he moved down the crowded city streets, his body concealed beneath his cloak. _Why must I be out here? Can't that fool just send for one of my servants, instead of wasting my time here?_

Zhang Rang turned right and walked down through a deserted ally opposite of the main street. Windows were barred shut, indicating that the homes here were rundown slums, very different from his own lodgings. He continued through a few moments longer, and then he saw another cloaked man leaning against the door of an abandoned storehouse.

"This better be worth the effort." The Eunuch huffed as he threw off his hood, "If the Emperor discovers that I've left my post, I'm a dead man."

"Not to worry Zhang Rang-San," The other hooded stranger removed his own hood, and showed himself to be the white haired figure Kabuto, "We won't take up _too_ much of your time." He pushed the door aside and gestured for Zhang Rang to entire, to which the Eunuch sauntered on through, the Sound Ninja followed behind him.

The place looked just as ruined inside as it did out, was the first thing Zhang Rang thought to himself.

Every window as barred, with few slivers of light that broke through the cracks to illuminate the darkness that shrouded the rest of the large room. Barrels and boxes were scattered all about and covered in a thin layer of dust, rats scurried about in the shadows as they scavenged for what little food could be found.

"Ah Zhang Rang, I'm pleased that you could make it." A calm voice called out somewhere from the shadows, and a surprised Zhang Rang looked across the room, unable to see the speaker through the shadows. "I apologize, we need some lighting." The voice called out once more, a few seconds later several candles bloomed into life across the walls. The Eunuch's mouth was agape at the sight around him.

Dozens armed thugs were by the two walls that flanked him and Kabuto, each gritty man armed with swords, spears, daggers, and clubs. They all eyed Zhang Rang with a lack of respect; clearly, these were men who had been driven to such extremes due to the policies of him and the other Eunuchs. Despite this, Zhang Rang quickly regained his composure and looked ahead, were several others stood before him.

Two large chairs were just across from him. A middle-aged man dressed in imperial purple robes and sporting a tall, matching colored hat over his long fair hair, which spilled out over his shoulders, already occupied one of them; a black feather fan in his hands covered the lower half of his face. Yet his ominous eyes glared back at Zhang Rang, and caused him to gulp down hard in anxiety.

Half a dozen armed men surrounded him, three soldiers in shining silver armor stood in front of him, their faces concealed by their masked helmets and each of them sported a sharpened long sword and sturdy iron shield. While the other three closest to him wore loose-fitting clothes and black masks that covered their faces as well, and the same music symbol donned headband worn by Kabuto.

"I am Sima Yi, personal adviser and strategist to Lord Orochimaru." The purple robbed man announced, he rose from his chair and lowered his fan, and Zhang Rang noticed the confident smile on his face, "My master is occupied with other matters at the moment, and he has asked me to attend this little demonstration in his place."

"Demonstration? What demonstration?" Zhang Rang inquired.

"Why the one your funds allowed us to complete of course." Sima Yi replied tactfully, an elegant hand gestured to the three armored soldiers before him. "These elite soldiers are the end result of months of research and experimentation, and they all ready to be in the service of his Majesty. We call them "Jin Troopers.""

"Is this some kind of joke? Emperor Ling already has guards at his side day and night." Zhang Rang complained as he looked from the soldiers to Sima Yi. "If you have wasted all our money on merely hiring and training more soldiers, then the other Eunuchs and I will-"

"As I've already stated," Sima Yi cut him off, "These men are the results of all our work. We already had the information and techniques down; all we needed was the money to make it happen. And thanks to you and the other Eunuchs, these men are ready." He lowered himself back down to his seat, "But words alone do no justice, take a seat and see for yourself."

Zhang Rang looked at the three soldiers; their eyes were the only parts of their face visible but even those seemed bleak to the man—devoid of any form of emotion, as if they wore masks beneath masks. He tore his gaze away from them and moved forward slowly, Kabuto ever still behind him.

The Eunuch took the empty seat beside Sima Yi while Kabuto stood beside the strategist. The thugs grew impatient, they whispered amongst themselves, eyes on the three silver-clad Jin Troopers. Sima Yi sensed it and announced, "Gentlemen, I have a proposition for you all." With a snap of his fingers, the three masked Ninjas stepped aside to reveal several stacks of gold bars behind them. Gasps of surprise erupted from the men, "This small reward will be all yours if you can kill the soldiers before you."

"Well what are we waiting for, get 'em!" As one the armed thugs charged forward, weapons aimed and ready to strike the three soldiers.

Zhang Rang turned to Sima Yi. Whether the man was crazy, or if these soldiers were his secret weapons, he was not sure.

* * *

Split into two units, the volunteers, with the aid of additional Imperial forces, began the march southward toward the rebel fortress. Liu Bei himself led the western march through the rocky bypass, ranks of green and blue soldiers behind him. At his side were Guan Yu and two of Cao Cao's officers, Xiahou Yuan and Sasuke.

The Shinobi himself marched in silence beside his archer friend, one hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword, and black eyes starred forward. _A little too quiet for my liking._ He thought. _An ambush isn't out of the question, but with the terrain it'd difficult to pull off._

"I don't like the looks of this place," Xiahou Yuan said as he scanned the surroundings, "Looks like a good place to pick us off right above us with arrows."

"Or many they'll just run straight at us." Sasuke remarked.

Yuan chuckled and was about to comment when a gust of wind blew at him, and he stopped suddenly and looked ahead. "Did you feel that?"

The gripped on the Uchiha's sword tightened, "I did."

Ahead of them, Liu Bei's steed came to an anxious stop, as if it sensed the danger before any else. "Every halt!" He ordered, and the entire army came stopped in seconds as the winds grew in strength.

"_Foolish Imperial dogs! Bow to the Miracles of the Way of Peace!"_ The voice came from nowhere, startling the army before the winds blew at them with even greater force.

Green and blue soldiers flew upward through the air; their screams echoed through the mountain pass as they smashed into the many jagged rocks, dead upon impact. Liu Bei's horse was no exception; the winds separated rider and steed from one another, and hurtled them toward the mountainside.

"Brother!" A firm hand grabbed onto Liu Bei's wrist, he looked up and saw that it belonged to Guan Yu, his long beard flapped wildly in the winds. The bladed end of _Blue Dragon _dug into the ground, it kept him in place.

"My thanks Guan Yu." Liu Bei said over the roaring winds. He dared a look back, and saw the rest of their forces falling back, whiles dozens of bodies were mangled against the rocks. "What about our allies?"

Not far from the brothers, Sasuke had followed Guan Yu's example and drove his sword into the ground. As he struggled to hold on, he saw, from the corner of his eyes, Xiahou Yuan fly backwards and smack into the side of a large boulder. "Yuan!"

Xiahou Yuan heaved in pain, but managed to lift his head up to see the boy, "I'm good kid!" He called out, his grin still in place.

With a sigh of relief, Sasuke turned to the two brothers and shouted, "How you holding up!"

"Fine for now," Liu Bei shouted back, "But if we don't do something soon, we'll be smashed to pieces!"

"No shit!" Sasuke remarked. _I bet the dope is having an easier time._

* * *

"There's an outpost just ahead, looks abandoned though." Sun Ce was at the head of the force, Sakura, Naruto, Zhang Fei, and a sea of green and red men right behind him as he spotted the gates of the outpost just ahead of them.

"It could be a trap; we should find another way around." Sakura suggested.

"Why bother, we got more then enough manpower to take on anyone!" Zhang Fei said intensely, "I say we march right on through and head for the fortress."

"I don't see any other way around, so I guess Zhang Fei is right." Sun Ce tore his gaze away from the view and addressed the men, "Move out everyone, but stay on your guard. We don't know what to expect from the Yellow Turbans."

The army marched forward with the Sun youth at the lead, the other fighters followed behind him. Naruto strode alongside Zhang Fei and darted his blue gaze at the man, "You must like charging forward, don't you _Boozehound_?" he asked.

"I don't care for any of this tactical stuff; I prefer a good old, straightforward fight!" Zhang Fei told him, "Leave the brain work to all the guys with the brains, that's what I say."

"So…you admit to being stupid."

"_Shut up!_"

Sakura sighed as the two argued. The blonde-haired boy was always provoking people like this, but she expected more manners from the older man. _Guess Naruto hasn't changed much. _ "Come on guys, we should focus on winning this battle instead of-" A blood curdled scream cut the girl off mid-sentence; she and the others turned about as the soldiers broke rank and spread out. "What happened?"

One of the volunteer soldiers fell to the ground, the ground beneath him soaked in blood as something stood over the corpse; its body appeared transparent, almost see through, and what looked like a sword was in its hand.

In an instant dozens more appeared from nowhere, and sent the soldiers into a panic, "_G-ghost! They're ghosts!_"

* * *

The last sword clattered against the ground, the room coated in crimson liquid.

Zhang Rang starred wide eyed as the three Jin Troopers stood over the mutilated bodies of the many thugs, their armor stained with the blood of the slain, but otherwise they were unharmed. The Eunuch's mind was at a lost for coherent thoughts to the slaughter he just witnessed.

"Impressed, sir?" Sima Yi asked with a slight smirk.

"I don't…I don't know what to say." Zhang Rang blurted, he never tore his eyes away from the silver soldiers. "How did you acquire such warriors?"

"Worry not about such details Zhang Rang, all you need to know is that these soldiers are ready to be in the service of the Han." The strategist rose from his feet and approached the three soldiers. He placed a graceful hand on one's shoulder. "We have at least two hundred at the ready, with four hundred more on the way. These warriors are worlds about compared to the rest of the Emperor's armies; they are efficient, as you have seen, perfect warriors, none can match them."

"I must inform the others about this." An overjoyed Zhang Rang jumped off his seat and jogged down, he did his best to step over the bodies as he made for the doors, "Lord Sima Yi, tell Orochimaru that he will be receiving additional funds soon. You're master is a vital asset to our glorious dynasty."

"I am honored my lord." Sima Yi gave the man a bow as he opened and stepped through the doors and back out into the city, "Such a simpleton, don't you think Kabuto?"

"Yes, but he does have his uses, however temporary it may be." The Sound Ninja replied, "Four hundred soldiers, do we _really_ have that many more in the making?"

"We will once this rebellion is over and done with, I just needed him to believe it so we'd have the money to make it happen, people like him will believe anything."

"And of Sasuke and his teammates?"

"They will be no match for our warriors, but we need not move against them now, keep an eye on them for the time being. Only _if_ they discover us will we take action."

"You should know that the ones spying on them are itching for a chance to kill them. They won't sit by and watch them forever."

"I figured as much, but Dosu and his comrades will do as they're told, less they wish to incur our master's wrath."

* * *

**Preview:**

**Sasuke:** Already I hate these Yellow Turbans; there must be a way to stop all this magical nonsense. I had just better stay alive at least.

**Next Time:** Break the sorcery!

**Sasuke: **These rebels are going to regret making a fool of me!

* * *

**Last Words from the Shogun:**

Surprised no one got me for including Kakashi and a few other Jounin into this when I said the other teams from before won't be in it. So let us just keep that way.


	9. Chapter 8: Break the Sorcery!

**Musou No Jutsu: Redux**

**Summary:** NarutoxDynasty Warriors crossover. Orochimaru, having mastered a Jutsu that allows him to travel through time, arrives in 2nd Century China, where the Age of the Three Kingdoms is about to begin. In order to stop the Sannin, Zuo Ci sends Naruto and his team to the Three Kingdoms after him. Here, a new tale begins.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the rightful property of Kishimoto Masashi, and Dynasty Warriors is the rightful property of Chinese History and Koei-Tecmo.

* * *

Chapter Eight: Break the Sorcery!

The left wing of the advance force folded and fell back as the phantom soldiers pressed their attack, their tangible weapons going through their armor with no effort and into the soft flesh behind it. Naruto watched the carnage all around him, the sight and smell of blood was sickening. A phantom soldier came at him with its sword, and the blonde ducked and rolled out of harms away, it was all he could do. His clothes and chest plate bore the scratches and tears from several near fatal blows, he would be covered in his own blood by now had it not been for his special "_condition._"

His friends, however, were not as fortunate. Across from him Sun Ce, Sakura, and Zhang Fei fought on as many of their men laid either dead or dying. The unruly brawler, covered in fresh cuts and blood, roared like a wild animal and slashed at the phantoms with his _Cobra Pike_ but doing no damage. All the while, Sun Ce did his best to rally their soldiers with little success with Sakura was close behind him, evading any ghosts that came at them.

_This is bad; we'll all die at this rate._ The blonde thought frantically. He found himself wondering, in the midst of the slaughter, how his Chinese comrades survived in the first—

A sharp pain ran through him in that moment of distraction, like being gutted open like a fish. He looked down; spotting what looked like a phantom blade punching through his side, and when the weapon was pulled out, he growled in agony as blood rushed out in pitiful spurts.

From her position, Sakura watched in horror as her friend dropped to his knees, the phantom soldier that struck him now brought its sword up to finish the task, "Naruto!" She sprinted to them, and just as the phantom began to swing its weapon downward, Sakura jumped forward and grabbed hold of the boy, sending them both rolling over to the side as the ghost blade came down, only succeeding in cutting across the girl's backside.

The two of them stopped in their roll several feet later as a mixed squad in red and green rushed over to their position and encircled them, weapons raised in a futile attempt to hold off their dead counterparts. Sakura winched from the gash on her back, but her teammate's wound worried her most. "Naruto, are you okay?"

"I'm fine Sakura-Chan," Naruto heaved, "Thanks for the save." He attempted to push himself off the ground, but the pain in his side shot through his body and he toppled to the ground helplessly.

"Your injury, has it healed yet?" Sakura muttered as she rolled him onto his back and placed her hands over the wound. The ghost blade had stabbed through an area Naruto's breastplate didn't protected.

"Yeah, but it's pretty bad I think, might take awhile." The boy replied, and watched a faint aura appeared around the girl's hands. Her healing technique took effect almost instantly, and Naruto felt the soothing relief come across his injury.

Around them, however, their men fell to the blades of the ghosts, their screams coursing through his ears, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not ignore them. Even on his first day in this strange country, he knew he was in way over his head: The politics of the nobles, the militarism of the generals, it was all beyond his understanding, so unlike the way of life back in Konoha, in his own time. the relatively small engagements of the Shinobi were nothing compared to this: thousands, if not millions, lived, fought, bleed, and died everyday in this insane land. This truly wasn't his world.

_But still…I told that old guy I'd do this. So that's what I'll do!_

"That's enough Sakura-Chan," He shoved Sakura's hands off him and lifted himself into a sitting position, his own healing abilities continuing where the girl had left off. "I can't just lay here and watch all these people die."

"Naruto…" Sakura began, but the young blonde put a hand up to her, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"Get Sun Ce, _Boozehound_, and everyone else out of here, I'll keep the ghosts busy." With that, he brought his hands up to his face, forming a crossed shape seal with his fingers. "**_Tajū: Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!_**"

The entire outpost was being consumed in sudden bursts of smoke, the fighting from both the Imperials, and even the phantoms, halted as more and more smoke clouds erupted around them all. The smoke finally cleared, and what lay behind it stunned the Imperial troops to the core.

An army of a thousand Narutos stood before them all.

With one cry, the clones rushed forward towards the ghosts, multiple jians flashing against the army of the dead. Their blades proved ineffective, and the ghost drove their own weapons into the clones, which instantly vanished upon contact.

Sun Ce's guard completely disappeared; he was awestruck at what he was witnessing. The phantoms that attacked, recognizing the new threat, turned their attention from him and attacked the Naruto's clones. As he regained his senses, the young Sun realized what his ally's intention really was.

"Everyone! Let's pull back while we have the chance!" He ordered, and instantly rushed to the Sakura and the real Naruto's side. Meanwhile, the Sun and Volunteer troops turned from their undead foes and dashed for the fortress exit, a few of the ghost gave chase, but a sea of Naruto clones intercepted, they took the brunt of the phantoms' blows as the Chinese soldiers made for their only path of retreat. "I don't know what kind of magic this is but I thank you for it."

"Just get everyone out safely; I'll see what I can do about the ghosts." Naruto told him, his wound still persistent, "I know we can still take that fortress, but only after we break through here."

The young cub's eyes widened at his declaration, "Are you sure about that?"

"Sun Ce-Kun, whenever he says he'll do something, he'll do it and succeed." Sakura answered, "He always does." She tried to stand to her feet, but the cut across her back stung at her again. She gritted her teeth, hoping not to yell out.

"I got ya," Sun Ce grabbed her by the arm and lifted her up to her feet, her arm still slung around his shoulder. "The survivors made it out okay, good luck Naruto." He started off for the exit with Sakura still in tow, whom looked back at her teammate, silently wishing him to be careful.

Naruto pushed off his feet and ran further down the outpost, a thick fog enveloping nearly everything around him, but the sounds of his clones still fighting, and vanishing, against the phantom soldiers still resonated. He concluded that the source of the magic had to be some close by, in the outpost itself, and he was right

Reaching the far end, he spotted what appeared to be two giant stone cauldrons positioned opposite of each other, a faint glow emitted from them that sent a chill coursing through his body. As he drew closer, he could see that the cauldrons had protection: a group of yellow robed men, sorcerers he assumed, and several more phantom soldiers.

"Stop him!" One of the sorcerers commanded as he and his collages turned towards Naruto and raised their opened palms at him. With a quick chant from each one, small balls of fire erupted from their hands and launched forward.

Naruto reacted to their combined attack and side stepped the first two that came at him, sighing slightly in relief as he ducked and rolled under another incoming fireball. The ghosts charged, readying their tangible weapons, but he pushed of his feet and leapt over them, using his speed to give him a fair amount of distance from them as he landed effortlessly and continued to go for the cauldrons.

The sorcerers unleashed another volley of fireballs his way. The Shinobi managed to evade most of them, but one lucky fireball struck him dead center in the chest., the force of the blast knocked him off his feet and sent him to the ground on his back. Had it not been for his chestplate, that would have been the near end of him. "_Shit!_" He cursed, as the ghost soldiers returned and surrounded him, their weapons high above their head for the final strike.

"_Hrah!_" A mountain of a man charged through the ghosts, literally, and scoped the Ninja up in his arms and rolled pasts the assailants. He dropped the boy on the ground, and Naruto looked up to see the bearded and bloodied face of Zhang Fei starring down at him.

"Why are you still here?" Naruto shouted.

"I ain't letting you take all the glory with those stupid tricks of yours," Barked Zhang Fei, "Now get off yer ass and let's finish this!"

"I don't need you to tell me that _Boozehound_!" Naruto sprang back to his feet, and with the drunkard Zhang Fei rushed at the sorcerers once again, the phantom soldier's right behind them.

The sorcerers, taken aback by the brawler's sudden appearance, were about to unleashed another barrage of fireballs. They were stopped short, however, when several small, metal stars flashed out and struck each one of them perfectly in their faces or necks, ending their lives.

"Let's end this!" The blonde boy exclaimed as he stretched out his right arm, a ball of wind forming in his hand. "_Rasengan!_"

"Right with ya _Cat Face_!" With a twisted snarl across his face, Zhang Fei tensed his arm, his fist clenched as wisps of energy flowed up through his veins.

Crying out in unison, Naruto and Zhang Fei unleashed their attacks against the two cauldrons. Rasengan and fist colloid against the magical workings, the cauldrons only able to hold for a brief moment before giving way and eventually shattering in an explosion of shards.

With the source of their power gone, the phantoms vanished, and the outpost fell silent.

Both warriors heaved from exhaustion; Naruto's condition far exceeded Zhang Fei's though, for his legs buckled with fatigue and hedropped to his knees, the wounds from the phantom sword and fireball finally took their toll on his body.

"Hey…_Boozehound_…" He called out to Zhang Fei, "Thanks…" He breathed out and fell flat on his face.

"Damn it kid," Scuffed Zhang Fei, "I don't know what the hell ya just did, but ya overdid it." He raced up to the young lad, lifted him up and flung his body over his shoulder. "Still, not bad I guess." Ignoring his own cuts, he walked off toward the exit remembering to pick up their weapons along the way. "But I better remember to keep my daughter away from you."

* * *

In the east, the harsh winds of the Yellow Turban's magic continued to blow through the corridor-like passage. Whatever remained of the blue and green Imperial troops had fallen back, leaving a score of their own comrades who had been blown away and crushed against the jagged rocks. Sasuke gripped both his hands onto the hilt of his sword, which was still dug into the ground, and used his upper body strength to pull himself forward against the winds for a more upright stance. Far behind him, Xiahou Yuan was laid out flat against a stone rock, fortunate that he had not suffered the same feet as their soldiers, while beside him, Liu Bei and Guan Yu clung to the long bearded warrior's spear, the only thing keeping them from death's grasp.

"We must do something, and soon!" Guan Yu called over the howling of the winds, "I don't know how long we can hold on like this!"

"You don't think I know that!" Called back Sasuke, his mind still buzzing with multiple plans. No class in the Ninja academy had prepared him for something like this. "If I had another sword, I could try and work my way forward!"

As if the heavens were listening, a blade dropped from one the fallen soldiers flew toward him at that moment. Risking the grip on his blade, he stretched out his right hand as the weapon drew near and defiantly caught it. Sighing hard, he plunged the blade into the ground, feeling it set firmly in place before he pulled his own sword from the ground, set a little further than the first one, and dug it into the ground.

"That's madness, you'll never make it!" Liu Bei shouted to him.

"We won't make it if I don't try something!" Sasuke replied, more focused on the task at hand. Bit by bit, the Uchiha warrior surged forward; the howling winds were cold, biting against his bare arms, but it did not stop him. He pushed his body to the limit, and to the surprise of his allies, he was further down the corridor, despite the enemy's magic.

As he drew closer to the source of the magic, several large shapes began to take form. Perhaps that was the cause of this ploy. "_Sharingan_!" His eyes instantly turned red, his vision more clear and focus, allowing him to make out what he saw. _Fans?_ Three large, wooden tower fans, protected by a small company of rebel soldiers, were the cause of it all. The wooden fan blades spun around in a ludicrous speed as swirls of wind circled around them like small tornados.

_So it's just a cheap trick!_ Sasuke thought smugly, now that he knew the secret, he had to reach it and disable the machines before—

The cold feel of metal scraped across his cheek, nicking the flesh and drawing out blood before he could even register it. _Was that an arrow?_ Ahead of him, well behind the towers, the rebel archers had saw him coming and began knocking back their arrows._ Shit! _Sasuke cursed, _The wind's increasing the arrows' speed, there's no way I can get avoid them like this.  
_

The Turban archers launched their arrows in a single volley, the projectiles flew past the towers, where the winds had caught them and gave them a new found speed and power as they made for the vulnerable Shinobi. Sasuke braced himself, expecting the bladed tips to stab against his flesh…

"_**Roar Blue Dragon!**_"

The powerful voice boomed over him, and another gust wind blew in from behind him, the force behind it shattered the oncoming arrows upon impact, sending splinters of wood and metal arrowheads scattering. Sasuke turned around, and the giant form of Guan Yu stood behind him, long beard still flapping franticly in the wind. His weapon was instantly dug into the ground, but he stood as if he was unaffected by the howling winds.

"Why are you here? What about Liu Bei and Xiahou Yuan?" He asked, still surprised to see the giant here.

"They are fine, I saw them to safety as you advanced!" Guan Yu responded, "Your courage in the face of such adversity has moved me, and I shall aid you in this endeavor!"

Sasuke nodded, "These guys are using some kind of giant fans to make this wind, its nothing more than a cheap trick!" He told him, "We need to get close enough to take 'em out, but I can't do anything like this!"

"Then perhaps I can change that!" With his free hand, the giant warrior grabbed the boy by his shoulder and hoisted him in mid-air, the movement startling the Ninja. With a mighty roar, he flung his arm forward while simultaneously throwing Sasuke forward.

Sasuke screamed as he went flying across the corridor and towards the enemy position. With both sword still in hand, he corrected himself on the fly, literally, and soared past the rebel contingent and came to the ground. He rolled across the ground for a few seconds before skidding to a stop and on his feet. "Was that really necessary?" He called back to Guan Yu, but he doubt the man had heard him over the winds.

The Turban troops surrounded him at that moment,weapons and farm tool ready to end him. His Sharingan eyes counted up the numbers, seventy in all. _And no allies besides Guan Yu, but he's on the other side of the fans._ He sighed at the situation. _Oh well; it's been awhile since I had used this anyway._

He shut his eyes, concentrating, and a part of him was hopping that the enemy wouldn't attack him just yet. He called on the power from the seal on his neck, the one the rouge Sannin had given him so long ago. The cursed thing emitted an ominous red glow and grew, slowly covering his body with weave-like markings. The Turban soldiers stood in awe at the transformation; they had never witnessed sorcery like this, and had no clue of the dreaded aura that arose from Sasuke's being.

However, Guan Yu, still far from seeing it, felt it. _ It's coming from the boy; I have never felt anything like this. What is happening?_

The markings slowly crawled to a halt, the fiery red now replaced with a jet black, covering the whole left side of his face and body. When finally Sasuke opened his eyes, the Turbans were greeted with the sight of his left eye with a bright yellow iris surrounded by an all black cornea. "Now then," Sasuke spoke, lips pursed into a confident smirk, "Whose firsts?"

At his challenge, the Turbans leapt into action, believing their numbers would prevail.

Guan Yu, for his part, watched as Sasuke dropped the commoner blade and gripped his original, single edged one with both hands before going on the attack. Even the man's trained eye, which had seen many different fighting styles, had trouble keeping up with the lad's new prowess, his movements, while nearly a blur, where quick, brutal. Each sweep of his sword almost flowed perfectly with one another, the cool steel carving into the bodies of the attackers, and blood sprayed into the air.

He continued to watch him, his expression set in stone. _There is more to Naruto and his friends than what he tells us. Who exactly are they?_

The last of the Turbans fell, and the Uchiha stood victorious amongst the bodies of his enemies. He turned his attention to the tower fans, red and yellow eyes laced darting at the machines with discontent. with a single, blinding swipe from his sword, one of the towers' legs shattered, toppling over the other two in a domino effect. With the machines destroyed, the wind that blew down the corridor died out, allowing the giant warrior to approach the boy, with great caution, as the markings on his body began to slowly revert back and his eyes returning to their normal color.

"That was an astonishing ability," He said, "Where you and Naruto come from must be a special place."

"It's no big deal for us back home to be honest," Retorted Sasuke, "Anyway, I think the rest of the army can handle it from here." He started past Guan Yu, moving over the corpses and machine parts as he made his way back up the corridor, stumbling slightly every few steps, "That little trick takes a lot out of my body, so I'm going back to the camp."

Guan Yu watched the lad's retreating back for a moment, and then looked across the slain rebel soldiers. _I fear the Yellow Turbans are the least of our worries._

* * *

Zhang Bao, brother to the Great tTacher, felt the distribution in his sorcery, the very weapons of his magic he used to hold the dogs of the Blue Dragon at bay were no more, crushed by unforeseen foes.

_I wonder if these are the same heretics that Brother Liang warned me about._ He thought hastily, remembering his brother's words regarding what he had felt. He put the matter aside when one of his lieutenants approached him, his words bearing grave news.

"The Imperials are advancing! The sorcery has been bested!"

"I'm aware of that," Zhang Bao told him, going over the situation. They had never expected for their magic to fail them, which was why their fortress, so vital in their efforts in the Central Plains, was undermanned. Now they paid the price for their arrogance. "We cannot defend this base with what little soldiers we have. Give the order to abandon it, and take as many supplies with us as we can, we'll regroup with Lord Zhang Jiao."

"Yes sir!" Bowed the Lieutenant as he ran off to give the orders.

* * *

With the winds in the West and phantoms in the East no more, the bulk of the Imperial army began the advance on the rebel base undaunted. Within an hour, a sea of red, blue, and purple swept across flat lands that overlooked the base, but as they approached, the iron doors to the fortress opened, and the Han soldiers braced themselves for an attack.

A few minutes elapsed, and no army of Turbans emerged from the base. Scouts were sent in to investigate, and when they returned moments later, they reported that the entire fortress was abandon. Zhang Bao had cut his losses and simply fled with his troops and good number of their supplies.

In the face of their retreat, the Han army was triumphant; they cleaned out whatever the enemy could not take with and them returned to their own camp, relieved that this enemy stronghold had fallen to them.

* * *

Sakura winched as the camp's doctor spread the stinging, makeshift medicine across her back. The horrid wound from the ghost sword had gone in a horizontal line from her right shoulder all the way down to her left thigh, but the doctor assured her that the medicine he had applied would heal the wound. Though, as a Medic Ninja herself, she knew that such a injury, while not life threatening, would undoubtedly leave an immense scar.

_As long as everyone's all right, it's worth it._ She looked to one side of the infirmary, other mats were laid out across the ground as doctors and assistants aided the other wounded troops. It saddened her: limps were missing, blood spilled out all over, faces twisted in agony and sorrow, many of them would not live to see the next day. When she turned her head to the other side, she spotted her blond haired teammate laying beside her, Liu Bei and his brothers kneeling over his sleeping form in silent. _Though he has the Kyuubi, his body is much worse than mine. I'm sorry Naruto; I wished I could have helped._

"All done," Spoke the doctor, pulling Sakura from her stupor, "It'll take some time for it to take effect, for now I suggest you get some rest."

"Thank you." She nodded politely as the doctor left to tend to the other soldiers. But as he left her sights, a new figure emerged from beyond the infirmary's flaps, and Sakura's face flushed upon recognizing him. "S-Sun Ce-Kun, why are you? Her shirt was folded beside her mattress, but the aides had placed it just out of her reach, leaving her whole upper body exposed. _Gah! This is so embarrassing!_

"Just came to check on my officer," Sun Ce answered cheekily as he sat besides the girl, his own face covered with cuts and bruises, though none of which to distort his handsome features, "I don't know what your friend over there did, but he saved a lot our mine today."

"Yeah," Sakura nodded and turned back to Naruto, just as the three Oath brothers stood up and left the infirmary, "He can be a bit of an idiot sometimes, but he's a good person inside."

"I can vouch for that." Sun Ce smiled, "Say Sakura, can I ask you something?"

The girl turned back to him and spoke, "Sure, what about?"

"When this is all over, when we defeat Zhang Jiao and end the uprising, would you care to back with us to Jiang Dong?"

"…Y-you want me to go with you and your father?"

"Of course, you've certainly earned my respect, as well as my father's. And while he won't admit it, Huang Gai really admires your guts too. We live by the Chang Jiang River, and it's an unbelievably beautiful place to see. Best of all, I'd like to introduce you to the rest of the gang: my brother Quan, my sister Shang Xiang, and of course my good old friend Zhou Yu."

"Thank you Sun Ce-Kun," She said sincerely, "I'd be honored to go with you."

* * *

Cao Cao, having returned from the front, strolled into Sasuke's tent, two of his armed guards flanking on either side of him. Sasuke, wary from the overuse of his seal, started to rise from his bed, but Cao Cao raised a hand to him, ordering him not to bother. "You have done me proud Sasuke," He complemented, "Sun Jian's men would have taken all the glory from us had it been not for you."

"I don't think there was enough to go around today." Sasuke replied just loud enough to be heard, his curse seal drained more of his strength than he intended.

"True, but the next battle will be different. Tomorrow we join up with Grand Commander He Jin to face Zhang Jiao himself in open battle. These last two battles and the lost of their supply base has crippled his forces, they will be no match for us."

"You're kidding me, right? Haven't these last fights proven that they _don't_ need numbers to face us?" Sasuke asked forcefully.

"There is more to war than cheap trickery," Cao Cao replied, his composure not effected by the boy's words. "The Yellow Turban's ranks are in disarray, starvation will soon hound them and their morale shall whither and die." He examined the look in Sasuke's dark eyes, even in his state; they still held that same mystery when they first met. "I understand your concerns of course, being a warrior-sorcerer yourself; you feel that the rebel leader is perhaps greater than his brothers, correct?"

"I wouldn't call myself a sorcerer," Corrected Sasuke, "And I'm not afraid of some guy who has peasants killing Government officials." _Why is this guy getting to me so much?_ He thought out, unsure what the man before him was trying to accomplish.

"So, will you fight then?" Asked Cao Cao, his eye locked into his.

Hesitant for a moment, Sasuke nodded, "I'll be ready when we move out."

A small grin crossed the General's face, "Excellent, rest well for now." He turned about and exited the tent with his guards, satisfied that his young vassal was motivated once again.

As he stepped outside, a soldier dressed in the green uniform of the volunteer unit approached him, "Lord Cao Cao, I bear a massage from master Guan Yu." The man reached for a satchel at his side, pulling out a scroll and presenting it to Cao Cao, whom grasped and unfurled it, reading to himself:

**_"Lord Cao Cao, what I say now is truth. I'd advise you to be wary of your follower Sasuke. During the battle, he unleashed some kind of strange magic upon himself, allowing him to single-handedly wipe out the rebel contingent and destroy the source of the winds. I believe there to be more to our young allies than meets the eye."_**

Cao Cao considered the warning. Gongsun Zan had informed him about the exploits a of blonde boy in Liu Bei's ranks, but he did not need one of the man's oath brothers to inform him of this, not after witness what Sasuke had accomplished in the previous battle.

_Still, I shall take your words to heart, Guan Yu._ Nodding to the messenger, he continued off to his own tent, wondering if he could use these gifted youths to his advantage.

* * *

"How bad were are own loses sergeant?"

"Much worse than last time I'm afraid," The sergeant told Liu Bei as a score of wounded, dead, and dieing volunteers flooded past them. "Two-thirds of the eastern unit were killed, and one-third from the western unit. Counting those wounded but who might still be able to fight; we have one thousand, six hounded and fourteen soldiers remaining."

Liu Bei heaved, the deaths of his men was disheartening, "Being a peasant army we have no hope of our superiors bolstering our ranks, therefore once we rejoin the main force, we'll merge are remaining troops with Master Gongsun Zan for the final battle."

"I'll notify the captains then, my lord."

The sergeant left him to carry out his orders, and Liu Bei looked about the gathering of his men, those still able to stand were busy aiding the doctors with the more seriously injured, while covers were pulled over dead and final words spoken to those who would not survive.

_I don't know if I can take any of this much longer._ He thought sadly, _For the sake of my men, I can only hope that things will get better after all of this._

A pair of footsteps echoed behind him, and he turned to see his Oath Brothers approaching. While Guan Yu was relatively unscared, Zhang Fei was covered in bandages, already red from seeping blood. "Brother, we must talk about Naruto." Guan Yu said.

"Forgive me Guan Yu, but I have other things to worry about at the moment." Liu Bei told him.

"I don't think this can wait, Brother Guan Yu says it's important." Zhang Fei interjected, "And I kinda agree with 'em." Liu Bei sighed, finding not the will to argue with them. He nodded for the two to continue, and they informed their elder brother of what transpired during the battle. And the abilities they had.

"I do have my curiosities regarding it," Liu Bei said, "But I do not believe Naruto could be a threat to the Han, he does not seem that way."

"People are not always what they seem to be brother." Guan Yu pointed out, "You should know that better than most."

"Yes, but I don't see any threat to him, I trust him almost as much I trust you two!" Liu Bei retorted, more forcefully than he would have liked, "Forgive me brothers, but I am wary of our losses. I must rest now."

"I understand brother, put please, I implore you take heed of our words." Said Guan Yu. Liu Bei only nodded tiredly before turning back to his tent.

"Why didn't ya tell him about the message you sent to Cao Cao?" Zhang Fei asked him once their leader was out of earshot.

"And worry him more? Brother Liu Bei is taxed by this war and the treatment fro, our commanders; as such I did not want to add to his woes." Guan Yu replied. "Let us keep our eyes on the boy and his friends Brother Zhang Fei; I fear that they may know something that we don't."

The drunk only smirked at that, "No problem Brother Guan Yu, I'll give him the beating of a lifetime if he tries anything funny."

* * *

**Preview:**

**Sakura:** One last battle against the Yellow Turbans, and then we can focus on finding Orochimaru and his allies. But I've head rumors that Zhang Jiao has some kind of super weapon in his base, and who knows what _he_ can do.

**Next Time: **The Fight against Zhang Jiao!

**Sakura:** Let's go, for the Ha—wait, what am I doing?

* * *

**Last Words from the Shogun:**

Job hunting, less time to write. But hey, if someone could put this series up on TV Tropes for me I'd appreciate it.


	10. Chapter 9: The Fight against Zhang Jiao

**Musou No Jutsu: Redux**

**Summary:** NarutoxDynasty Warriors crossover. Orochimaru, having mastered a Jutsu that allows him to travel through time, arrives in 2nd Century China, where the Age of the Three Kingdoms is about to begin. In order to stop the Sannin, Zuo Ci sends Naruto and his team to the Three Kingdoms after him. Here, a new tale begins.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the rightful property of Kishimoto Masashi, and Dynasty Warriors is the rightful property of Chinese history and Tecmo-Koei.

* * *

Chapter Nine: The fight against Zhang Jiao!

"I understand that your unit suffered heavy losses in the last battle." Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei walked across the volunteer section of the camp, the remaining peasant soldiers who could still fight were making preparations for the coming battle. While Liu Bei and the other had been attacking the Turban fortress, Grand General He Jin insured that the Imperial Army was at full strength by ordering its leaders to call upon their best troops for the final fight. For his part, Gongsun Zan summoned his elite _White Riders_, perhaps the finest cavalry in all of China.

"Yes, that is correct." Liu Bei replied, "I had sent a request to Lord He Jin for additional troops, but I doubt that he will grant the request of a mere civilian army."

"That's a shame, considering the talent you have in your employ." Gongsun Zan said, and Liu Bei knew that he meant his brothers and Naruto.

"That is why I've decided to merge what is left of my army with yours. Perhaps then we can be a more fearsome force against the rebels." Liu Bei suggested.

Gongsun Zan was silent, considering the plan of action. Even with his fine horsemen at his disposal, he had no guarantee that it would be enough for victory. But here came his old school friend, offering his men and warriors to his own army. _The addition of his army would surely boast my reputation in this country._ The prospect thrilled him inside. "A sound plan old friend, I will gladly include you and your men into my ranks for the time being."

For the first time in days, a heartening smile crossed Liu Bei's face, "You have my thanks, master Gongsun Zan."

A commotion caught their attention as soldiers and other camp attendants gathered around the stables where the horses were kept. Curious, Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei walked over, moving past the crowd of onlookers before they came to the sight that had garnered so much interest. Both leaders watched as a certain blonde warrior was thrown comically forward-courtesy of the white stallion he was on seconds earlier-and landed on the ground face first, the crowd bursting into laughter.

"_You stupid pony..._" The boy muffled, his mouth full of dirt.

"Is everything alright Naruto?" Liu Bei asked.

Pulling himself up, Naruto took notice of his lord's presence and answered, "I'm fine, Zhao Yun was just showing me how to ride a horse is all."

Across from them, Zhao Yun, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei watched with some amusement at Naruto's efforts. The white stallion neighed and galloped around in circles, almost mocking the poor boy. Naruto got back to his feet and stared the horse down, a slight snarl on his features. "He's making fun of me." He growled, "I ain't gonna let some farm animal make a fool of me! _Dattebayo_!"

"You need to be calm my friend." Zhao Yun said, moving up to the steed, "In order for a rider and his steed to be one, you must _gain_ its trust." He grabbed hold of the horse's reins with one hand and stroked the its mane with the other. The horse fidgeted for a moment, but it calmed down as Zhao Yun handed the reins back to Naruto, "Try again."

Taking the reins, Naruto breathed in deep and mounted back on the steed. he tug on the reins and dug his feet into the side of the horse. The stallion sensed the less awkwardness in him, and obediently galloped forward without much trouble. The blonde smiled triumphantly. "Yeah, I'm getting the hang of this." He said gleefully.

Liu Bei couldn't keep the smile from crossing his face, "A strange boy, is he not Gongsun Zan? All that fighting prowess and yet he's still a child."

"I agree," Gongsun Zan said, "Alright men, break it up and be ready to fight!"

The crowd of soldiers dispersed, going about their own business, leaving only Zhao Yun and the other two brothers. Naruto dismounted from the horse as one of the stable hands took the reins and returned it to its hitching post, satisfied that he accomplished this. _If I learn enough things from this world, I could use that to be a great Hokage someday_. He thought. _I should probably worry about the mission first though._

"Well done Naruto, you have a talent for quick learning." Complement Liu Bei.

"Thanks," Naruto nodded. "So what do we do about Zhang Jiao's army?"

"Lord Gongsun Zan here has accept my request of merging what remains of our forces with his. Most of his men will be under my command as a result." Liu Bei told him and the others.

"I feel confident in our success this day," Gongsun Zan told them, "And so does Lord He Jin, he's ordered everyone to gather their best troops from their respective homelands to contribute to the defeat of the Yellow Turbans."

"Yes, reinforcements have been arriving bit by bit in the last couple of days." Zhao Yun informed them, "Lords Cao Cao, Sun Jian, Dong Zhuo, and Yuan Shao have called force another batch of their armies, and my lord has summoned his _White Riders_ to the fray, as you've already seen."

"What's more," Gongsun Zan began, "Governor Ding Yuan is sending over an elite company of troops to assist as well. With such a powerful force with us, this rebellion will be a thing of the past after today."

"Good to here, I can't wait to tear these little punks to shreds!" Zhang Fei barked.

"I'm with you Brother Zhang Fei, we will do our part as well." Guan Yu said.

"Damn right we will! _Dattebayo_!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Wonderful, with such prowess on our side, we need have no fear of Zhang Jiao and his followers." Gongsun Zan laughed. "We'll all be due some honors once this fight is done."

* * *

Yuan Shao's smile broadened as his soldiers marched in perfect rank and file, dressed in identical golden armor, and wielding the best made weapons money could buy. These were the elite troops of the noble Yuan clan, trained and armed by the most prestigious of his family's vassals. The man had every right to gleam. "Have you never seen a more glorious army my friend?"

Cao Cao stood beside him, arms crossed as he examined his pompous comrade's men, "They're certainly well drilled, I'll give them that." He replied.

"Of course, unlike Zhang Jiao's rabble, my forces are the best trained in all the country!" Yuan Shao boasted. "The heavens will bless us with a victory worthy of our elite reputation!"

"I'd be careful Yuan Shao, the heavens take enjoyment in toying with man." Warned Cao Cao, "Caution would be best advised, we would not want your sons to be fighting over the succession, no?"

Yuan Shao nodded, "Yes, I appreciate your concerns Cao Cao. I shall take it to hear."

"Good, now I must be off, my own reinforcements should be here by now." With a courteous bow of the head, Cao Cao turned and walked off, making his way back to his army's section of the Imperial base. As he was out of earshot his old friend, he turned his head slightly to one of the tents and spoke, "If you wanted to join me, all you had to do was ask."

Sasuke emerged from the shadows of the tent with a deviant smirk across his face, impressed that the man had sensed his presents. "I'm surprised you knew I was here. You got some sharp senses." He complemented.

"I did not think you were testing me." Cao Cao joked. "What thoughts do you have regarding Yuan Shao?"

"Truthfully?" Sasuke had asked, and when the older gentleman simply nodded, he answered, "Well, he acts like his heads up his ass. _All the damn time_."

His commented earned him a slight chuckle from Cao Cao, "He is from a noble family with a long history in the Han, it is no surprised that he is so pompous."

"I have to say, though, he looks like he's got a good army." Sasuke said. "Arrogance is probably acceptable when you got the force to back it up."

"His forces are great indeed," Cao Cao began, "But what a fool I would be if I did not posses a worthy army of my own. Come and you will see." He walked off once again, and Sasuke quietly followed behind him, wanting to see what he meant.

When they arrived back at the camp, the Xiahou brothers were awaiting them, but not only them. The dark haired Ninja saw whole columns of fresh troops marching upward toward them, their blue armor shiny and new compared to the men he had fought alongside with thus far. The formation was simple enough: foot soldiers at the front, archers and crossbowmen in the center, and the horsemen bringing up the rear, but it was the two men at the very front that caught Sasuke's attention.

From atop a horse was a heavy armored man who, to the boy at least, appeared to be a bit shorter than Cao Cao and the others, and with a shield buckled to his right forearm with an odd shaped blade attached. The other man, who was casually walking beside the other warrior's steed, donned a massive breastplate that covered his torso, showing off his thick, herculean arms. His head was hairless, and sunlight almost comically gleamed off his scalp. Sasuke knew the man was fierce, however, because of the small yet razor sharp one-handed axe he held.

As this new force approached Cao Cao, the mounted warrior halted his horse and jumped off, and both he and the bald headed man stood before the great lord and bowed. "My lord, we are here to assist, as you ordered." Spoke the shorter man respectfully.

"And I thank you for coming Cao Ren," Cao Cao replied, looking from him to the bald warrior, "And you as well Dian Wei, I apologize if I worried you though."

"Not at all my lord," Dian Wei waved his comment off, "I knew you'd be in good hands with Dun and Yuan, I was worried that wouldn't have a chance to join the fight." He laughed before he took notice of Sasuke, "Whose the kid?"

"Just some brat, pay him no mind." Xiahou Dun scuffed.

Sasuke merely eyed him scornfully before replying, "The name's Uchiha Sasuke, I joined Cao Cao a few days back."

"Don't let his appearance fool you, he is far more capable than he seems." Cao Cao said. "He has served me well in the last battles, and he shall do so again here."

"A pleasure to meet you then Sasuke," Nodded Cao Ren, "Let us work together to end this senseless fighting."

"If my lord thinks of you so highly, then I guess you must be something else." Dian Wei complemented, "You leave protecting Cao Cao to me-his personal bodyguard-while you go out and teach these punks a lesson or two."

Sasuke smiled slightly at the man's bravado. What a motley crew his temporary master had assembled, but he had little doubt about their capabilities in a fight if Cao Cao and the Xiahou brothers had already shown him. "Three hundred of these new soldiers are under your command Sasuke," Cao Cao told him, catching the Shinobi off guard, "You've done well fighting on your own, but I have no need of lone wolves. Show me that you can lead men into battle."

He stared at him for a long time, surprised by the responsibilities thrust upon him. Was he testing him? To see how he did with peoples' lives on his shoulders? "I don't think myself as much of a commander," He said truthfully, "But if it's an order, then I won't say no."

Cao Cao nodded, "Alright, I'll be with Lord He Jin to discuss our plan of attack, make yourselves ready for the fight." He turned on his heels and walked to meet with his superiors as Dian Wei followed behind him.

"You heard him boy," Xiahou Dun said, "He's given you command of some troops, and it'd be a shame if you disappointed him."

"You mean by dying? Maybe you should worry about your own head for once instead of mine." Sasuke retorted sharply.

Dun growled at his words, "I'd like to stay and teach you a lesson right now, but these rebels need dealing with first." He turned to leave, but looked back to the Uchiha one last time and said, "Once this rebellion is over, I'll savor the pleasure of ending your miserable life..._if_ you make it." He walked off off then, his back to the others.

"I am sorry for his behavior, he is most stubborn, but a loyal soldier.." Cao Ren said, but Sasuke shrugged it off, he was already use to it. "If my lord trusts you though, then you must be one worthy of it."

"You bet the kid is," Xiahou Yuan boasted, clasping the boy's shoulder "He's got some crazy powers, and they sure do come in handy in a tight spot. But let's not make him blush, we need to get ready for the big brawl."

Cao Ren nodded, "understood, let us be off now men." he ordered, and the soldiers marched out with Yuan in tow. Sasuke watched the new arrivals almost seamlessly merge with their original forces thanks to the two of them, and began to think of his new command. _Three hundred soldiers, is it? No Shinobi has ever worked with numbers quite that big, but it sounds like a good challenge._

* * *

Sakura and Sun Ce sparred against one another as several soldiers watched, invigorating themselves before the battle. The kunoichi was glad that she had trained under Tsunade, for her opponent was in high spirits. And though the two of them fought hand-to-hand, the strength in Sun Ce's blows was impressive even without his tonfas.

As they fought, a wide, carefree smile was present on his face. _Sun Ce-Kun sure is in a good mood today. _She thought. Of course he was always in a good mood, and while she had no problems with it, for his smiles made him all the more handsome, she wondered what was making him so happy.

"Ya might wanna keep your guard up!" The young Sun came at her with a quick jab from the left, but Sakura easily leaned to the side, evading the blow before she threw a punch of her own at Ce's gut. The warrior quickly sidestepped the effort though, and as the girl moved attack again, he caught her by the arm and pushed hard, sending Sakura off her feet and pinning her to the ground.

As she hit the ground, the older boy on top of her, Sakura's face turned red, her heart pounding in her chest from this awkward situation. "Y-you really a tough one to beat..." She said bashfully, her eyes looking into his own.

Sun Ce's smile never left him, "You're pretty strong yourself."

She smiled back at him, her heart beating a steady rate once again, "Why thank you." She said sweetly as she pressed her foot against his chest. With all her inhuman strength, Sakura tossed the surprised warrior over her, and Sun Ce was sent crashing into the ground a yard or so opposite of her.

A hearty laugh came from Sun Ce as he rose to a sitting position and turned to Sakura, "I didn't see that coming. Nice one Sakura, you're just full of surprises." He said.

Sakura sprang to her feet and dusted off her clothes, "What's got you in a such a good mood today? We're about to take on Zhang Jiao himself." She asked.

"Remember when I told about my friend Zhou Yu?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he's on his way with the relief force my father sent for."

"That's great, we'll certainly need the help."

"Defiantly." Sun Ce pushed himself to his feet, stretched out his arms and felt the heat and slight pain from their duel run through him. "We've been friends since we were kids, he's pretty much like a second brother to me. He's the smartest guy I know, and he can certainly handle a sword."

At that moment a messenger approached the two of them, and the man dropped to one knee as he spoke just what Sun Ce wanted to hear. "Lord Zhou Yu has arrived with reinforcements, he's speaking with your father at the moment."

"Good to hear," Sun Ce said, nodding his head to the Kunoichi, "C'mon Sakura, I'd love for you to meet him."

"Right behind you." Sakura followed curiously behind him as the soldiers around them broke off, retuning to their own duties. Watching Sun Ce's retreating back, she wondered what it was about him that had her heart aflutter. She thought back to the night when Sasuke nearly betrayed the village before Naruto had stopped him. The feelings for him that she had, very poorly, kept hidden for so long were shattered by his sudden betrayal.

Afterwords, having accept the fact that she was little more than a hindrance to her teammates, she devoted herself to her Medic Nin training regiment under Tsunade, hoping that a new, steely resolve would do away with the pain in her heart. It helped little, and the ghosts of that traumatic episode never fully abated.

Then she ran into Sun Ce, who stood alone amongst those brigands. And as they fought side by side against the Yellow Turbans, she found in him what her long time crush had stripped from her without remorse. _And it's all because of him._ She thought happily, her gaze still on her superior, who she now realized she loved. _Thank you, Sun Ce-Kun._

They arrived at Sun Jian's tent and walked in as the elder Sun himself spoke with two others. Sakura noticed the veteran Huang Gai immediately, the other was a boy around Sun Ce's age, and was a handsome man with long brown hair. "Glad to have you here Zhou Yu." Sun Ce called out as he approached his childhood friend, "This whole fight should be a lot more interesting now that you're here."

"With you with us, it's never a dull fight." Zhou Yu smiled. He brought his hand up to Sun Ce, and the two of them clasped wrists respectfully. "And who would this lovely young lady be?" He asked, taking note of Sakura.

"I'm Haruno Sakura," She introduced herself, "I've been fighting for Sun Ce and his father for awhile now. I'm please to meet you Zhou Yu-San."

"The pleasure is all mine milady." Zhou Yu bowed to her, and she returned it with her own. "Sun Ce is an excellent judge of characters, I can vouch for him if he believes in your person."

"That's enough greetings for now everyone," Sun Jian began, "I'll be meeting with Commander He Jin and the others to discuss strategy. This will be the final push against Zhang Jiao's rebel army, and when they break here, then hopefully the chaos in the country will break with it."

"I wouldn't count on it," Huang Gai scuffed, "The Eunuchs are as greedy as ever, and there are plenty of powerful men looking to expand their own influences."

"I must concur with master Huang Gai," Zhou Yu agreed, "More fighting will be done even if we destroy the enemy here. Forgive me for saying so my lord, but this is the reality we face."

Sun Jian signed, disheartened, "I know, and that is why we must all do our part today, and hope for a better tomorrow." He turned to the entrance of the tent, "I shall speak with you all again shortly, if you'll excuse me."

As Sun Jian left them Sakura looked over to Sun Ce, his expression tense. He shared the same thoughts and concerns his father did surely, and knew that many difficult time would face them all.

And she would be with him when the hardships came, she owed him that much.

* * *

Grand Commander He Jin was a powerful man, thanks in part to his sister, Empress Dowager He, and of course to his own talents in leading men. When he had crushed the Yellow Turban uprising within the capitol itself, he had earned the name _Marquis Shen, _the cautious marquis. Today he was putting that name to good use.

He knew full well that Zhang Jiao's main army, despite repeated defeats, was still a fearsome force to be reckoned with. And it was for that reason that he had postponed the inevitable assault so that his army could gather as much manpower as possible. He would not take anything to chance.

The leaders of the various Imperial armies had gathered within his command tent: Grand Generals Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, Generals Cao Cao, Sun Jian, Yuan Shao, Dong Zhou, and Gongsun Zan, and even the Volunteer Commander Liu Bei was here-much to Zhu Jun's and Dong Zhou's disdain. All but one was unaccounted for: The leader of Governor Ding Yuan's contingent force. Regardless, He Jin decided it best to proceed.

"As you all know, we are about a mile or so away from Zhang Jiao's main headquarters," He Jin began, "The coming battle will not be easily won, but is a victory we must secure in order to crush the Yellow Turbans once and for all."

"We should launch a full on assault against their main forces," Proposed Dong Zhuo. "Our previous victories have already left the enemy crippled beyond hope of recovery. They'll fold in minutes."

"That's quite a boost Dong Zhuo, considering the role you played back when Huangfu Song was attacked." Gongsun Zan said.

"My army was caught unaware at the time, as were all of yours!" Dong Zhuo retorted, "But now my warriors are well prepared for whatever these commoners might throw out us."

"Grand Commander, if I may," Liu Bei spoke up, "What the enemy may lack in manpower, surely they will make up in sorcery. What do we know of any strange activities going on within their ranks?"

He Jin mauled over his question a moment. A recon troop had delivered information regarding enemy movements earlier before, and the information was worrisome. "I had sent scouts a few hours before to inform me on what the rebels were up to, and they say that the enemy has erected some kind of strange monument in the center of their encampment. I'm not sure why, but it's most likely not good for us.

"Therefore, we cannot afford to wait for Ding Yuan's unit to arrive, we must get ready for battle at once," He Jin continued, laying out the plan of attack. "Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun will remain here with me as reserve forces, but I want the rest of you out on the front facing the enemy. Gongsun Zan and the Volunteers will take the center, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao the east, Sun Jian and Dong Zhuo the west. Any questions?"

The officers kept silent, each man knowing what to expect from the lasts engagements. "Very well then," He Jin said, "Then let us fight, for the Han and the Emperor, we will not fail."

* * *

They cheered his name, the farmers, the commoners, the beaten and downtrodden. They wore his yellow clothes on their heads, waved the banners of the Way of Peace, raised their weapons and tools in his name. Zhang Jiao, leader of the Yellow Turbans, was the savior of the Chinese people in their eyes.

"My children, the time is nigh," He preached from atop the monumental steps of his alter, "The accursed followers of the old Han are upon us, and it is our duty to rid this land of the these heathens and bigots!" His followers roared with one voice. "Many children have fallen already at the hands of these tyrants, but our faith remains strong my children! The Heavens themselves are on our side, we have nothing to fear."

Again his followers cheered, their faith and devotion unspent. Zhang Jiao stepped away from his place and turned behind him. There, his two brothers were praying in the center of the alter. The Imperials had bested both of them and the bests magics they could deploy, but their combined resolve still remained.

"Brothers, is our greatest weapon in place?" The Turban leader asked.

"Yes Great Teacher," Zhang Bao answered, "Yellow Thunder will be the death toll for this Han Loyalists, at least I pray that it is."

Both brothers were worried, Zhang Jiao sensed it, and he knew why: It was the unseen enemy hiding behind the Han, a dangerous force ready to engulf the land in madness if not stopped. "Zhang Bao, Zhang Liang, you two should no better than to question our inevitable victory, have faith in the havens as you always have."

"We do kept the faith great teacher, but it is the tremendous threat these heathens bare that has all our followers on edge." Zhang Liang said. "Do you truly believe that our weapon will be the key to victory over these dogs?"

"I know it to be true brother, Yellow Thunder will be the corrupt Han's undoing, so the havens have decreed." Zhang Jiao told them, make his way forward and pass them. "Now, I leave control of the army to you the both of you. I must go and put the finishing touches on our glorious device."

"Yes Great Teacher!" Both his brother said in unison before leaving to make ready themselves. The Hans days were done, and the Way of Peace was about to begin.

* * *

"Are the men ready captain?" Asked Sasuke, looking over the soldiers placed under his command. Clearly they had never seen a single battle before, as it was evident in the timid looking faces on a few of them. He would have to see them all through this mess then.

"Yes sir, one hundred spearmen, one hundred sword and shield, and one hundred crossbowmen at the ready, just as Lord Cao Cao instructed." The captain replied. "His superiors expect the rebels to throw everything they got at once, so he wants us as reserves troops alongside Lord Cao Ren."

"That's a bit far from the fighting, but I'll obey it." _And I'm nowhere near Dun regardless._ Sasuke halted to add, the last thing he wanted was for the man to hear it from someone else. "What's your name, captain?"

His question caught the captain by surprise, if only for a brief second. "Chou, sir." (1)

"Well then, Captain Chou, do you think I should give a little speech to the men or something?"

"It would ease the tension sir, some of these lads are still green."

He nodded in agreement, better to take the edge off now then have it cause problems later. Sasuke stepped forward, and the men snapped to attention with brisk, well practiced, movements. "I'm gonna be completely honest with you all," He began, "I really consider leading all of you as an unneeded burden, you'll just end up slowing me down. Hell, you'll probably get me killed." He took note of the grim expressions on their faces and decided quickly, but carefully on his next words. "_However_, Cao Cao placed all of you under my command, and while we don't have to be friends or anything, I'm still responsible for your lives. I'll do what I can to get you all through this.

"But like I said before, you might slow me down, so I expect each and every one of you to pick up your share in this fight, or we'll die out here in this hellhole." That last bit earned him a few snickers from the men. "I know I may sound harsh to you, but from what I've seen in the last few days nothing can be taken lightly. And I may seem too young to lead you all like this, but trust me, I'm a lot stronger than you guys think. But even then, I'm still gonna need you all to do your part in this.

"So let me put it simply," Now seemed like a good time to wrap his speech up, "You guys watch my back, and I will watch yours in return. Am I clear?"

"_Yes sir!_" Replied the soldiers all at once.

Sasuke smirked at their obedience, perhaps he won some of their loyalty in the process. _Leading an __army is easier than I thought._

"Harsh, yet fairly reasonable, not a bad speech if I may say so." Remarked Chou.

"You think so." Sasuke asked.

"I think it was too harsh." Both men turned sharply at the sudden voice and saw both Naruto and Sakura standing nearby. "You're not much a people person Sasuke." Naruto had said with arms crossed.

Captain Chou made a move to reproach the blonde, but Sasuke brought a hand up to stop him. "Relax, they're friends of mine." He said, and the captain relaxed his guard. "Give us a minute."

"Very well sir," Chou said and ordered the troops off, leaving the three Ninjas alone.

"You have your own army now Sasuke-Kun? I guess Cao Cao must really trust you now." Sakura said.

"It's not really trust, the man's just testing me." Sasuke replied, "I might have overdid it in the last few battles, now he's curious about my techniques."

"I know what you mean," Naruto interjected. "Lately, _Heavy Beard _ and _Boozehound_ have been acting weird around me. They still trust me, but they got their eyes on me a lot more now. You don't suppose they know about our mission, do you?"

The thought sent a chill down everyone's spines. One top of the inevitable fight with Orochimaru himself, having their Chinese allies know the truth was too great a risk, and could jeopardize everything Zuo Ci had them set out to do.

"I doubt they know, but maybe we should tune it down on the Jutsus for a bit." Sakura suggested. "And that goes double for you Naruto."

"Uh, Why single me out like that?" He asked, puzzled.

"Because your the one with the Kyuubi, and having it lashing out is the last thing we need right now." She answered.

"She's right you know." Sasuke agreed, "I have no doubt Orochimaru still wants me, but you're the biggest target here Naruto. And not just from the Sound-Nins, I don't trust most of these warlords here."

"Same here, have you guys met Dong Zhuo, what a fucking pig. _Dattebayo_." Naruto said bitterly.

"In any case, we shouldn't draw too much attention, the way I see it Orochimaru doesn't know we're here at all, meaning we have the element of surprise." Sakura explained, "The more discreet we are, the least chance he has of finding us."

"You've certainly become the voice of reason Sakura, but you're right." Sasuke said, "Lets tune it down and save all efforts for Orochimaru when he least expects us." _If we can find him that is._

"Right, but least deal with these Yellow Turbans first though." Naruto said, "They've caused enough trouble as is, so someone gotta take 'em down!"

His two teammates grinned, even after almost three years away, he was still his strange, yet courageous self.

* * *

"Hey guys, how long do we have to watch these Leaf punks?"

"Sima Ya-Sama said not to lay a finger on them yet, Zaku. Why? Do you wanna explain our actions to Orochimaru-Sama?"

"Take it easy Kin, I'm just getting tired of spying on them is all."

"I know what ya mean, just looking at these assholes makes my blood boil."

"I couldn't agree more, but we can't do nothing about them right now. But..."

"But what Dosu?"

"Our master didn't say anything about not harming the rebels. So, whose with me?"

"I guess they'll do for now. What about you Zaku?"

"Sure, sounds like fun."

* * *

**Preview:**

**Naruto:** Damn it! These Turbans are still putting up a fight. And what's with that strange statue thing in their camp? I guess it's up to me to find a way to stop it!

**Zhang Fei:** You _Cat Face_? Ha! I'm not gonna sit around and let you take all the glory, so I'm going in too!"

**Next Time**: The Imperial Charge! The Thunder of the Heavens!

**Sakura:** Those two are gonna get us all killed, aren't they?

**Sasuke:** Safe bet, if I had to say.

* * *

**Last Words from the Shogun:**

Hey everybody, your favorite Shogun is back! I just got my first job in October, so I really couldn't find the time to write anything up until now. I'll see if I can make time for you and my stories in the future.

In other news, I got myself an account on FictionPress, and I'm working on my first, original story at the moment. I've placed the FP account under the FF homepage, so keep an out on that in the future.

(1) When writing Captain Chou's dialog, I think of him having a British accent for some reason.


	11. Chapter 10: Imperial Charge!

**Musou No Jutsu: Redux**

**Summary:** NarutoxDynasty Warriors crossover. Orochimaru, having mastered a Jutsu that allows him to travel through time, arrives in 2nd Century China, where the Age of the Three Kingdoms is about to begin. In order to stop the Sannin, Zuo Ci sends Naruto and his team to the Three Kingdoms after him. Here, a new tale begins.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the rightful property of Kishimoto Masashi, and Dynasty Warriors is the rightful property of Chinese History and Koei-Tecmo.

* * *

Chapter Ten: The Imperial Charge! The Thunder of the Heavens!

Naruto stared out across the almost desert like battlefield, the large host of men that was the Han army's central unit formed up in solid blocks with the banners of Gongsun Zan and the volunteers fluttering lazily in the wind. Far across from them was a the Yellow banners of the rebel forces. _Wow, I didn't know there was this many of them left._ He could make out the thousands of peasant soldiers slowly making their way forward, weapons and farm tools of all kinds held high and at the ready.

"The battle has begun," Liu Bei asked him from beside him, hand at his still sheathed sword. "Remember the plan Naruto, and we shall be victorious."

"Not a problem Liu Bei, I know what to do." The Shinobi replied with a grin, recalling the plan of attack they had gone over earlier. First, Gongsun Zan's Crossbowmen would fire three volleys of arrows once the rebels drew near. Once the Yellow Turbans were thrown in disarray, Zhao Yun would lead the White Riders in an all out charge and break through the enemy's remaining forces. The Volunteers would advance alongside the cavalry and ensure that the ground troops didn't out flank them.

The sound of a horn broke through the silence, and seconds later the Yellow Turbans broke out into a mad sprint, weapons aimed at the Imperial soldiers. On cue, hundreds of crossbowmen moved forward and quickly formed into three lines across the entire unit, their weapons loaded and at the ready.

Gongsun Yue, the nephew to the general, stood amongst the crossbowmen, watching the Yellow Turbans draw in closer for the kill. "First line ready!" He ordered, and the first line of Crossbows lowered their sights towards the enemy. "Loose!"

The first line opened fire, and arrows zipped out from their crossbows and slammed into the charging enemy. Turbans fell by the hundreds, either dead in an instant or struggling looking on at the bolts in them with shock as they bleed. Yet the remaining Turbans pushed on.

"Second line ready!" Gongsun Yue barked as the first line all drop to their knees to allow the men behind them to aim. "Loose!" Again another wave of arrows was launched and punched into the Yellow Turbans. "Third line ready!"

Naruto looked on as the last volley of arrows was fired, another score of Yellow Turbans hit the ground. _These guys are serious,_ He thought, _Looks like I'll have to be too! Dattebayo!_

Another horn blew suddenly, and before he knew the crossbowmen had begun to fall back as the horsemen stepped towards the front. The blonde Shinobi spotted Zhao Yun in the led atop a beautiful white stallion, his silver armor and spear gleaming in the sunlight. Behind him where hundreds of mounted men, the banners of Gongsun Zan high above them.

At his side, Liu Bei unsheathed his sword and turned to face his men, "This is it men, we shall advance alongside the White Riders and destroy the Yellow Turbans." He said with confidence. "When this uprising is over, we shall have the peace we have all starved for!" His men gave a cheer for victory, their moral high as ever.

"Liu Bei, they're off!" Naruto called out as the White Riders surged forward. "C'mon, it's time to kick some ass!"

Smiling slightly, Liu Bei raised his sword forward and shouted, "Advance!" The volunteers charged as one, green banners streaming on high. The Cavalry was already well ahead of them, smashing into the disarrayed ranks of the Yellow Turbans, men trampled under hooves and gutted with spears. The volunteers soon reached the melee, and frenzy of swords filled the air.

Drawing out his sword, Naruto slashed the first Yellow Turban he saw across the knee, the poor men screamed out as he hit the ground. He faced forward as just as another Turban came at him with a pitchfork, and he skillfully dodged the weapon and slashed at the man's wrist, forcing the rebel to drop his weapon before the Ninja planted a kick to his chest.

Liu Bei stood a few yards ahead of him, long sword gleaming in the sun as the volunteer commander fought with a zeal the boy didn't know he had before. Further ahead, he spotted the other two other brothers among the chaos, foes falling this way and that to their blades. _They're giving all they got for this battle._ He thought, he quickly re-sheathed his sword before crossing his hands together. _Even thought Sakura-Chan said not to overdo it, I shouldn't hold back for their sake._ _**"Taj**__**ū**__**: Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!"**_

A massive cloud of smoke consumed him and a good fifty feet around him, drawing the attention of the surrounded fighting men. As the smoke began to clear, Naruto charged forward with sword in hand, dozens of shadow clones at his side.

_Well played Naruto. _Thought Liu Bei, "Onward men! For the land and the people!"

* * *

"Report, Lord Gongsun Zan's army is pressing their attack, and the enemy's central units have begun to fallback."

Cao Cao listened to the report from atop his steed, his gaze on the fighting before him. Both his and Yuan Shao's men were holding their own against the Yellow Turbans, but their numbers were more vast here than he anticipated. "Send word to Gongsun Zan, tell him send his men here, and strike the enemy from behind." He ordered. The messenger bowed and dashed off.

Dian Wei, ever present, turn to look at his liege and said, "Are you worried my lord? Well, don't be, I'll make sure none of these whelps lay a finger on you."

"I am grateful for that Dian Wei," Cao Cao replied humbly, "But to answer your question: No. This will break soon enough, as long we see to it, of course." He turned to men he held in reserve, his thoughts on Sasuke once again. He had given the boy an army to lead, perhaps now it was time to see how he used it. "Horns, send word to the reserve troops, we must until Gongsun Zan can attack the rear."

In a matter of seconds the call went out, reaching the ears of the reserve forces and their leaders. Sasuke let out an restive sigh, finally glad to be seeing some action. "You seem impatient." Cao Ren said as he inspected his buckler blade.

"I'm just glad to get to the action," Sasuke replied, deadpan, "I don't like sitting and doing nothing."

"Then steel your heart, we're about to join the fray." The shorter Cao reached for the blade on his shield and drew it out with one swift, fluid motion. "And remember, you have the lives of your soldiers in your hands, do not let die in vain." He said and sprinted past the boy, solid blocks of soldiers following behind.

_Why does everyone treat me like I'm the Dope? I know that!_ Rolling his eyes, Sasuke lifted a hand and shot it forward. Three hundred soldiers raised their weapons and marched, soon they caught up with Cao Ren's unit, and soon after that they joined the rest of their forces and smashed head long into a sea of yellow.

The Uchiha leaped into the air and plunged his sword through the first man he spotted, the blade punching thought fabric as blood spewed from both back and chest, startling the Turbans around him. Sasuke wretched his sword from the dead man and slashed at another enemy across the chest, killing him instantly. Three rebels caught his, he reached for the pouch strapped to his leg and swiftly let three small knives fly out and hit the oncoming attackers.

_Much better than a bow._ He thought.

"Sir!" Someone called out to him, and the Shinobi recognized it as Chou's. He turned behind him and spotted the captain as he down a Turban. "The enemy's is regrouping for another attack over there!" He said, pointing into the distance with his sword.

Sasuke looked out and saw a large body of Yellow Turbans was gathering, hundreds of men rushing this way and that in a hurry. The boy turned back to his own soldiers and shouted, "Everyone on me, we'll catch them off guard!" He ordered and dash off towards the Turbans.

Captain Chou looked on at his retreating form for a moment, surprised by the young warrior's command. He wasn't expecting his new commander to be so heady._ It_ _Certainly suits him, though._ He thought and turned to his soldiers. "You heard the commander, move it!"

The Uchiha lead soldiers charged forward as one behind their Ninja commander. The archers in the back let loose volleys of arrows as they ran, spearmen brought their weapons at the ready, colliding with the now disarrayed rebels. At the forefront was Sasuke, his sword a blur of steel and blood as he cut down Turban after Turban.

All the while, a shrewd was spread across Sasuke's face. Whether it was the curse seal or the rush of battle he could not say, but he was enjoying himself.

* * *

Sakura back flipped as three arrows sped her way, impaling themselves into the spot she stood on seconds earlier. The girl whipped a Shuriken from her pouch and sent it flying, striking on of the offending archers in the throat. As the men collapsed to the ground, blood sputtering from the gash, his two comrades lost hearts and fled.

She breathed in hard, the sound of fighting and dying all around her. The young Sun Ce was with her earlier, but she had lost sight of him as the battle raged on. _I hope's he's alright? _The tiger cub was stronger than he looked, but Sakura stilled worried. _Sun Ce-Kun._

A shadow fell over Sakura, pulling her from her thoughts as she looked up to see a Yellow Turban coming down upon her with a sword. The pink haired girl made to move out of his way, but a second figure appeared above the airborne rebel. The flash of a blade followed, then a scream before the Turban collapsed to the ground. Dead.

The figured dropped beside Sakura, red and white robe stained with dirt and blood and the flame patterned sword in his grip dripped the blood of its last victim. The kunoichi recognized him instantly, "Zhou Yu!"

"My lady, have you've seen Sun Ce," Zhou Yu asked, "I can't seem to find him anywhere."

"I don't know, I lost track of him awhile ago." She replied, "I hope he isn't hurt, or worse."

The young man sighed, "Knowing him, he'd have ventured deep into enemy lines."

"That's crazy, he'd never-" Sakura was saying, but she stopped when she spotted a Yellow Turban coming from behind Zhou Yu, spear poised to kill. "Behind you!"

Zhou Yu, heeding her warning, turned just in time to parry the man's spear with his sword, he then thrust forward and punched into the man's chest. The poor soldier was already dead before he hit the ground.

"My thanks Lady Sakura." He said, turning on her with a bow of the head.

She waved it off, "Not a problem. Come on, we she looked for Sun Ce." Zhou Yu nodded, and the two warriors charged further into the enemy ranks, cutting down rebel that got between them. They had pushed deep for sometime when the sound of explosions reached her ears, causing Sakura to look up as a cloud of smoke rose to the air. Another own followed right next to it, sending whole bodies flying in every direction.

_The Bombadiers,_ She thought, frantic. _Sun Ce-Kun we'll be blown to bits if he's not careful._ Another bomb went off, much closer to where they two of them were. _**AND SO WILL WE YOU IDIOT!**_ Screeched her inner self.

As the two cut their way further, screams and bombs roaring all around them, The Kunoichi spotted who they were looking for: Sun Ce stood fighting a few yards ahead of them, Turbans falling to his swift and powerful blows. "Sun Ce!" Sakura called out.

Falling another soldier, Sun Ce turned to her and Zhou Yu, a smile crept on his face "Glad you guys could show." He said.

"Sun Ce, you've gone too far out!" Zhou Yu told him, vexed, "When will you ever learn?"

"Zhou Yu's right, I didn't know you could be so reckless." Sakura said, "You've could have gotten yourself killed!

The young Sun gave them an embarrassed grin, "Sorry, didn't mean to worry you two."

"You certainly did more than just that," Zhou Yu pointed his sword to the side, and both Sun Ce and Sakura looked up as dozens of Yellow Turbans circled all around them, weapons at the ready. The three warriors turned about and closed in tight amongst themselves. "Though its not like any could push you back, of course." Zhou Yu said.

"And it's a good thing you have us here." Sakura told him, smiling.

Their words made Sun Ce laugh, "Well, come on, let's go!"

* * *

In the center of his great alter, the Great Teacher of the Heavens stirred uneasily. Though he could not see the battle far of in the distance, he could sense the flow of the combat emanating to his very core. He could hear the dying sounds of his faithful children in his ears. He cringed at it all, his anger towards the evil fiends of the dying Blue Dragon growing stronger.

_The Han dogs will suffer like for their atrocities._ He thought to himself, the grip on his red staff tightening. "Brothers, is Yellow Thunder ready?"

Behind him, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang awaited him, confident smirks across both faces. "Yes, Great Teacher, the time is at hand." Said Zhang Liang. Three stone pillars, set about in a triangle formation_, _stood fifty feet high, Chinese characters etched all across the their surfaces.

"We shall show these faithless dogs the arrogance they drench themselves in." Proclaimed Zhang Bao.

With a nod, the great Zhang Jiao turned and moved towards his creation. "The Heavens have granted me the vision of this great device, and the power it hold to slay the heathens once and for all." He said as he stopped before central pillar. "The sacrifices of are children will not be in vain, as the gods themselves will judge the Han dogs for their sins!"

His brothers stood before the two remaining pillar, they held their out in front of them and closed their ways, calling upon the holy powers of the heavens. "Yes my brothers," Zhang Jiao said as he held his staff up to the the pillar. "Let us show the infidels the wrath of the Heavens!" And they called out to their gods in silent prayer, the gods answered them. A great rush of power surged through them, the energies from above was almost enough to numb the sense, buy they had experienced this more than once, the great power of the heavens was not a stranger to them.

After minutes of praying, the characters on the stones glowed a bright yellow as the holy powers surged through them. Yellow sparks raced to the top, forming three massive balls of energy, and growing ever more. "And now," Zhang Jiao said, turning back to the battle that still raged. "With the very thunder of the Gods at my command, I shall reach out and crush these wretched vermin!"

* * *

With the battle well within their favor, the Imperial army charged on against the fleeing Yellow Turbans, stragglers who remained were cut down down where they stood, blasted by bombs, or trampled under hooves. The Han soldiers fought with zeal, victory and peace was was theirs. But the Yellow Dragon had other plans.

In the central line, Naruto cut his way through rebels alongside Liu Bei, dozens of Shadow Clones all around them. "Looks like we'll win this one after all, huh Liu Bei." He boasted.

The commander of the Volunteers nodded and was about to speak when a flash of light cut his eye, he and Naruto looked up as three giant balls of yellow light shined like the midday sun above. The soldiers all around them halted and looked as well, perplexed and fearful of the strange phenomenon. "This is Zhang Jiao's magic." He said. "But what is he planning?"

He instantly wished he had not asked that when the light spheres shot out. They flew in different directions, but Liu Bei knew their course was clear: the Imperial line. "Look out!" He called out as the first one stuck, falling in the middle of their formations. A blinding flash followed, and Liu Bei could feel himself being pulled from his feet and flying though the air before crush down seconds later. He hit the ground hard, still blinded by the light. His vision cleared however, and he could see the horror that was inflicted on his people.

Scores of dead men and horses littered the area where the sphere had crashed, bodies broken and bent in ways he never wanted to imagine. A huge crater was all was in the middle of the mess, and anyone cut in it would have been turned to dust instantly.

As he rose to feet, the smell sending his nostrils aflame, he suddenly remembered the blonde warrior who was with him in it happened. "Naruto!" He cried, worried for the young warrior's well being. "Naruto!"

"Over here!" The man spun around and spotted his young ally, down on one knee and using his sword for support, "What the hell was that all about?"What shouted, regaining his bearings.

Liu Bei rushed over to him, his mind racing with a million questions about what happened, "I don't know, but Lord He Jin will certainly order us to pull back for now." He got down to his knees beside the youth, "Can you stand?"

"I don't think so," Naruto grunted as he tried to get to his feet, but a sharp pain raced through his left leg, forcing him back to one knee, "I think I twisted my ankle in the landing."

"I'll carry you, hang on." Liu Bei pushed himself up and hoisted Naruto up, the youth placed an army over the man's shoulder and stood on his good foot. "I only hope we can get back to the camp before they strike again."

"What about the others?" Naruto asked, but he got his answer when he spotted the figures of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun. "Nevermind." He chuckled.

"Brother, Naruto, are you two alright?" Guan Yu asked, looking worse for wear.

"We're fine Guan Yu," Liu Bei said, "What about the men."

"Lord Gongsun Zan saw the soldiers back to the camp, we must return ourselves." Zhao Yun said.

Liu Bei nodded, "Indeed, let's go." The five of them proceeded back to the camp, Zhao Yun leading the while Guan Yu and Zhang Fei followed from behind, weapons held tight for any possible enemies.

"Seeing _Cat Face_ like that is priceless," Zhang Fei cackled. "Maybe you should get your ass dragged off more often kid."

The Shinobi muttered a curse to himself before saying, "Maybe I should break your knees next time _Boozehound_, then we'll see how you like being dragged!"

* * *

A large host of men marched down the road, heading for the raging battle far ahead. Their night black banners flutter lazily in the breeze. The two clashing armies were in sight, and the men let out small shouts, ready for action, but the army stood in its tracks when the balls of light struck out and smashed into the Imperial forces, the force so great that many of them were thrown off their feet.

Three mounted warriors, all dressed in black, were at the front of the host, their horses whining from the sheer power of the magical attack. "This must be the Yellow Turbans doing." Said the warrior with the twin halberds strapped on his back. "Was Lord He Jin at the front, you think?"

"Unlikely," Said warriors beside him replied, spear held in his grip, "These imperial officers are a bunch of cowards, I say."

"Perhaps so," The first warrior as he turned to the man in front, his commander, "What say you my lord."

The Commander of the contingency was stood a foot higher than the rest. He was dark of skin and long of hair, the two red tailed headdress he wore stretched all the way to his lower back, and only seemed to add the his almost demonic appearance along with the long blades pike he wielded. "It matters not to me," He snarled, "My only concern is battle. Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, try not to slow me down."

With that, he pressed his legs into the sides of his horse, spurring the steed onward towards the battle. The other two warriors, expecting their leaders response, spurred their own horse after him, the soldiers follow behind them. The rebels had no idea what was coming for them.

* * *

"Okay Naruto, you should be fine now." Within the infirmary, Sakura let out a relived sigh as she finished inspecting her friend's injuries. "The Kyuubi can handle your twisted ankle, and the rest of your wounds already healed."

"Thanks Sakura-Chan," The blonde smiled, "What about Sasuke, is he okay?"

"I'm fine you dope," Naruto and Sakura turned to the entrance of the infirmary just as the aforementioned Sasuke came their way. "Sun Ce told me you guys were here." His clothes were caked with dirt and blood, but he appeared fin otherwise. The same could not be said for everyone else here.

All around them doctors and field aides were rushing from one injured patient to the other. The sudden attack from the rebels had, according to the reports, left more more than two thousand of their numbers dead, and hundreds more horrendously injured. Beside them, one man was having his leg, or the twisted, bloodied remains of it, sawed off before it could fester, a bar of wood between his two to keep him biting his tongue off. But his muffled walling was enough to send shivers down Team Sevens bodies.

"I lost about forty of my own men when that happened." Sasuke told them bleakly. "It's no surprise that the Turbans have some kind of super weapon."

"So now what?" Sakura asked.

"What else: We go back out there and take that thing down!" Naruto proclaimed as he shot to his feet. "He might turn that thing on the camp soon enough, and I can't let that happen."

"I'm with you on that, but we don't _how_ to get into his camp," Sasuke said, "I don't think the General will risk an all out charge again, unless he _wants_ to have more soldiers blasted to oblivion."

"Fine then," The blonde stormed past his two friends and stepped out of the infirmary in a rush, "I'll just go and convince the guy to send me to take that thing and Zhang Jiao down _Datte_-" He was cut out when two feet smacked into the back of his head, sending him comically him to the ground, eyes crossed. "_Huh_...What was that for?" He asked, dazed.

"Don't you have any tact Naruto? you just can't barge up to an official like that!" Sakura huffed.

"As much as I'd like to get back at these bastards, Sakura's right." Sasuke said, "We're gonna have to things their way for now."

Naruto, his sense returned, pushed himself of the ground and dusted himself off. He was about to speak when the warhorns blurted out from the sentries. _ ahoooooooo! ahoooooooo! _(1) Dozens of soldiers rushed off the camp's gates and ramparts in haste, swords, spears, bows and crossbows ready for combat. Fearing the worse, Team Seven followed the throng of fighting men, a bit fearful of the enemy's new weapon.

As they reached the ramparts, the young Ninjas saw the men simply starring out into the battlefield, all their faces a mix of awe and relief. The three looked out as well, and saw what was earning such reactions. The Yellow Turbans were engaged with a new army, black banners in the air. Though the rebels attackers were thrice the size of this new force, the black clad army was mowing through them with almost no effort.

"Ah, so this is the force Ding Yuan sent us," Naruto and the others turned around just as He Jin approached. No doubt he heard the horns as well, and had come out with a small group of guards behind him. "And he sends _him _of all people as well."

"Who do you mean by "him?"" Naruto asked.

The Grand General of the Han turned to him, surprised, "Only the greatest warrior in all the land: The Mighty Lu Bu."

* * *

**Preview:**

**Sasuke: **Lu Bu..That guys a monster! I've seen anyone like him before, and he's making the rest of us look like fools. Still, I guess this freak might be what we need to destroy that Weapon the Turbans have. At least I hope he is.

**Next Time:** Regroup! Team Seven's Redoubled Efforts

**Sasuke: **I won't let this guy surpass me, no matter what happens.

* * *

**Last Words from the Shogun:**

New Year, new chapter, same Shogun...to some extent.

Last year didn't see to many updates of course, but this year I plan to do a lot more writing to get this plot moving, so you won't be dissatisfied. Also, regarding the poll I put up before, it looks like the new pairing of "SasukexWang Yi" is hereby the winner. Thank you all for voting and I hope you enjoy the new paring (as soon I put Wang Yi in the story of course).

Now I'll be working on another story and be waiting for Warriors Orochi 3.

1: Been reading _A Song of Ice and Fire_ lately, and warhorn sounds are written like that, apparently.


	12. Chapter 11: Regroup!

**Musou No Jutsu: Redux**

**Summary:**NarutoxDynasty Warriors crossover. Orochimaru, having mastered a Jutsu that allows him to travel through time,arrives in 2nd century China, where the Age if the Three Kingdoms is about to begin. In order to stop the Sannin, Zuo Ci sends Naruto and his friends after him. Here, a tale begins.

**Disclaimer:**Naruto is the rightful property of Kishimoto Masashi, and Dynasty Warriors is the rightful property of Chinese history and Koei-Tecmo.

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Regroup! Team Seven's Redoubled Efforts

"I gotta say, I expected a little bit more from all you chumps." The Turban soldier laid sprawled on the ground in a bloody mess, his legs broken beyond healing. His comrades lay dead all around him, the stench of blood filled his nostrils and sent them flaring.

"Hey, don't go dying on me yet you piece of shit." Growled the one responsible for the slaughter. It was a teenage boy dressed in shirt and trousers of rich purple worn beneath a lightweight chest plate, gauntlets, and greaves of black steel, his dark, spiky hair kept in place by a headband engraved with a music symbol in the metal forehead protector. "I have a lot of anger to dish out still," He knelt down beside the dying man, a hideous, psychotic grin on his face as he placed a palm over his victim's face, a twisted glint in his dark eyes.

"The...Great Teacher..."Sputtered out the rebel, noticing the small hole in the boy's hand, "Will bring the Heaven's wrath upon you...monster!"

The grin faded from the boy's face at those words, "A monster, am I?" He seized the man by the throat and effortlessly lifted him into a sitting position. "Well, let's how much of a monster I really am!"

When he brought his other hand up to his face, the Turban saw another hole in it's palm as well. A part of him wonder why before a small gust of air started to shot out from the hole. Seconds later, all the man could hear was a sudden b___oom _from behind him before everything went dark.

"Was that really necessary Zaku?"

Abumi Zaku chuckled to himself as he drop the dead man, the back of his head nothing more than a gaping hole, it's contents across the ground in a red smear. "Just making sure I didn't forget how to us my ___Zankūha _is all." He said, cheeky. "I'm sure you guys got your share of blood on your hands."

To that, both Kinuta Dosu and Tsuchi Kin laughed cold heartedly. They two wore they same outfit as their third member, but with minor alterations: The girl's shirt was was cut to expose her shoulders and navel, and the metal of her of forehead protector had been refitted to a black leather belt around her waist. Dosu's armor was more heavyset than the others, and he donned a simple soldier's helmet and face mask, the music symbol engraved on a metal patch over his right eye.

"We found a path a little ways off, and it looks like it leads right to the heart of the Yellow Turban's camp." Dosu told him.

"So what? Do we go in and kill that old priest?" Zaku asked, bored now.

"No, we'll be report back to He Jin." Dosu told him, "He'll want to know of it, and find a good use for the information."

The other boy scuffed at the notion, "I still don't see why we should bother working for these idiots. For that matter, why are we still-"

"Just cool it Zaku," Kin spoke up, cutting him off, "I still don't like wearing this symbol anymore than you do, but Dosu here knows what he's doing. So for now, we play along."

Dosu nodded to her, "Exactly. Besides, Orochimaru's our only ticket out of this Godforsaken time period. So we'll bide our time for now, and do what he says." the masked Oto Ninja turned his one eye to Zaku, "Now then, let's report back."

A sneer spread across Zaku's face, but he kept his mouth shut. Dosu was always the more tactful one of the group, all the reason why Orochimaru made him team leader. _Another reason for me to hate that pale freak__. _Granted, he was somewhat grateful to the Sannin for traveling back to the Chunin Exams to keep the three of them from dying, but that quickly changed to contempt after he dragged them to this hellhole of of an era and sent them to work for some half-ass Government to better his plans. But not before subjecting them to a few of his other ___experiments__._

With a nod of his head, he and the team made their way to the Imperial camp, the littered bodies the only signs of their presence.

* * *

A jubilee of cheers erupted from the exhausted Imperial soldiers as the contingent forces marched into the Han encampment, night colored banners swaying with each step. The ebony clacked men were caked in dirt and blood, but looked otherwise delighted in the attention they received, and already many of them broke rank and mingled with the other troops, inquiring on how the battle was progressing. Team Seven were among the throng of spectators, Naruto and Sakura were ever pleased to see reinforcements, but their Uchiha teammate stood with his ever present scowl of indifference.

Another column of black clad soldiers carrying spears marched in soon after, and the smiles on the two Ninjas quickly turned to horrified grimaces. Each spearhead was grimly decorated with the severed heads of Yellow Turbans. "Well _that's_ reassuring." Sasuke said sarcastically, if the gruesome scene disturbed him, he hid it well.

"Unbelievable, they were outnumbered at least three to one, and they still managed to win." Sakura said.

"No kidding, whoever this Lu Bu guy is, I'm glad he's on our side." Naruto said as the last column of men passed them by, "Huh? Did I miss him or something."

He got his answer as three more men on horseback rode in, all three dressed in the small ebony colored armor with trimmings of red and gold. The cheers died down, and all eyes fell on the mounted warrior in the middle. He was a tall and well built man with light brown skin and long strands of black hair running down to his mid back, and a headdress of two long, red, fuzzy like antennas adorned him. Such headgear would be comical, if not for giant and razor sharp halberd he wielded, or the stare that he cast on everyone around him.

The Ninja felt his gaze fall upon, the sheer intensity behind the man's eyes shot the three of them to their core. He looked to them for a scant few seconds—which to them felt like hours—before he turned away and continued forward, his two officers following behind him. They broke away from the crowd, walking to one of the nearby watchtowers to regain themselves. Sakura instantly dropped to her knees, sweat dripping down from forehead to her brow, while Naruto and Sasuke leaned against the tower, both boys trembling.

___I've never seen a gaze like that before. It held such power behind it. _Naruto thought, his stomach twisted into a knot, tempting him to throw up. ___If just his stare could do that..._

Sasuke was the first to recover from the shock. His teammates looked to him as he stood up straight, but they took note of his still shaky hands. "Yeah, that was defiantly their leader." He told them all.

"He Jin wasn't kidding about him being the greatest warrior in the land." Naruto said as he went to kneel beside Sakura. "Sakura-Chan, you okay?"

The pink haired girl looked to himself, the color flushed from her face. "I'll be fine." She slowly pushed herself off the ground, legs turned to jelly, threatening to give out on her. Naruto grabbed her by the arm and helped her up. "I suppose we should be lucky that he's on our side, huh?" She said with a slight smile.

The two boys smirked at her remark, their spirits lifted a bit. It was true, they were lucky Lu Bu was an Han Loyalist. Neither one, however, dare to ask for how long.

They stayed their a couple minutes more to regain their bearings before rejoining the troops, the crowd that gathered beginning to disperse and returning to their normal duties. "We should head back to our own camps and get ready for the battle." Sakura suggested.

"Yeah, I'd better go see how ___Boozehound_ is doing." Naruto said and left the group, waving them goodbye as he returned to the Volunteer camp. Green garbed men rushed about from tent to tent, they disparity thick in the air. Their dead comrades were lined up along one section with covers over them, swarms of flies buzzing over them like vultures. The overall death toll was still being counted, as many soldiers were completely obliterated in the sudden attack.

___I don't like this, not one bit. Dattebayo._ The blonde thought bitterly. ___We have to do something about whatever the Yellow Turbans did, we're sitting ducks out here._

"Naruto!" Looking ahead, the Shinobi spotted Zhao Yun before him. His silver armor still covered in grim "You're looking well my friend." He said.

Despite all the misery around him, Naruto managed a big smile, "Well, I have my good days and bad days. I take it Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan are with the other officers?"

"Yes, Some of Lord He Jin's scouts have returned. They say Zhang Jiao has constructed a weapon within his camp, that must be what devastated our army. They are working on a plan to destroy the thing and eliminate Zhang Jiao as well."

"You haven't seen Guan Yu or _Boozehound_ anywhere, have you?" Naruto asked.

"They should be by the barracks. The attack has left many of the men scared out of their wits, they're trying to rally them together before the battle resumes, but its look like a lost cause so far." The warrior told him, "I'm on my way to reorganize the cavalry for the next charge. If you'll excuse me."

Naruto said his goodbyes to him and made his further down the camp. He soon came upon the barracks, where both oath brothers stood before a gathering of men. Most of them had weapons in hand, but looked as if they weren't willing to put them to use. "Have you all forgotten why we fight? Do we all not share the same vision of a peaceful land when we joined the Imperial Army?" Boomed Guan Yu's voice. "We have weathered the Yellow Turban's magic up until now, we must not break, or all our efforts will be in vain!"

"But my lord, you saw what happened out there. Many of our comrades lay dead, and others have been turned to dust!" One of the soldiers shouted. "How are we to beat such a force?"

"Maybe we can't," Another soldier spoke up, "Maybe we should just surrender to Zhang Jiao. He's too powerful for us to take on."

"Powerful? _Bah!_ Nothing but a bunch of cheap tricks, there's nothing about him to be scared off." Zhang Fei growled, but the soldiers still looked on certain.

"What about Lord Liu Bei, what is he doing for us." Asked the first soldier skeptically, "The other officers in the army look down on him like a begging dog, just like the rest of us! He has no real power, there's no way he can do anything!" Mummers began to spread to the other men then, gaining strength like a raging inferno.

The first protester's words struck a cord in the Shinobi at that instant, like a stab to the heart. In the short time he had been with him, Naruto watched as Liu Bei looked on at the devastation and hatred with woeful perseverance. If anyone here had suffered and endured the most it was him, and he still took the brunt of the burden on his shoulders. No longer able to stomach it, he pushed past the two brothers as they tried to gain control of the situation and stood before them all.

"_How can you all just decide to give up on Liu Bei like that?__!_" He shouted, a bestial tone in his voice. The talking ceased, and everyone—even the brothers—fell silent as Naruto continued, "Every thing he's done, all the hardships and jerks he's had to put up with, Liu Bei has done all of it for you! He's like you guys: Just an everyday person who was forced to take part in this war. And all he wants is for you all to lead happy, peaceful lives. There's no way he'll let some magic stop him now, not when we're so close."

"Like you're one to talk! You use the dark arts too, everyone here knows what you can do!" A soldier said.

"Yeah, how do we know you're not a spy for the Yellow Turbans?" Shouted another.

He ignored them, there was no reason to tell them the truth yet. "This isn't about me, it's about Liu Bei—the man we all swore to follow. He has faith that you'll stand by him to the end, and all he ask is that you do just that. Someone once told me that those who abandon their friends are worse than scum. If you abandon Liu Bei now, after everything he's done for you, then that's exactly what you are."

He might have been too harsh in his words, but it was already said. As he looked at their faces in the silence, Naruto could see the same emotion across them all: Shame. "So," He spoke once more, his voice softer than before, "Will you leave, or will you help make Liu Bei's dreams a reality?"

"Yes, I will stand by lord Liu Bei!" One of the men spoke, the first voice of protest. "So will I!" Said another. "We'll all fight for Lord Liu Bei! We won't abandon him!" The rest cried out their support, and a cheer soon erupted from them and all within earshot of the blonde's speech.

Naruto allowed himself a cocky smile, he didn't expect his words to work _that_ well. "You guys go and get to your duties, we'll be going into battle again pretty soon I bet." He told them. The men dispersed to make ready for the fight, leaving the three officers alone. Naruto turned back to the brothers, his smile still present. "Sorry for butting in guys, but I couldn't take all the negativity going on."

"That was well spoken of you Naruto." Guan Yu said, "You have quite a knack for reaching out to people. They all looked up to you just now, like the way they look up to a leader."

"Yeah, I guess that wasn't too bad." Zhang Fei scuffed. "Did you really mean all that? About those who abandon their friends are worse than scum?"

"Damn right I did." He told them, "Listen guys, I've noticed you've been a little different around me after the last battle. I don't get why, and I don't want it to cause any trouble between us."

"You have earned our respect and trust my young friend, however, your abilities have left us with questions about who you truly are." Guan Yu told him. "I'm sure you have your reasons for keeping quiet about it, but if jeopardizes the well being of the land..."

_You have no idea Heavy Beard. No idea at all._ Naruto thought, "I know, I know. There's a lot I need to talk to you guys about, with you and Liu Bei. I promise you, once this rebellion is over and done with, I'll tell you the truth about who I am, and what it is I'm after."

"Very well, I will pass the message on to Lord Liu Bei when he returns." Guan Yu said, "For now though, we should make ready for Zhang Jiao."

* * *

"About seven hundred of our men were killed in that hellish attack of theirs, and about another five hundred more were grievously wounded. The doctors say that most won't survive the night." Captain Chou reported. "fortunately, about fifty men from your own unit were lost, so we still have plenty of fighting power to spare."

"That all adds up you know." Sasuke told him coolly, sitting across from the soldier within the confines of his tent. "And knowing how many died isn't really something to be fortunate about."

"Forgive me sir, I didn't mean to upset you." Chou apologized.

The dark haired youth waved him off, "Forget about it. What's everyone else doing?"

"Lord Cao Cao went to greet Ding Yuan's forces with the other generals, Xiahou Dun and Yuan are busy reorganizing our forces, and Cao Ren is patrolling along the camp's perimeter. He's a master of defense, so if the rebels plan a raid, they'll smack right into that wall of a man."

Sasuke chuckled at that last statement. Cao Ren had charged right alongside him earlier, and the shorter Cao knew how to make use of that bladed shield—or buckler blade as he called it—to great effect. He recalled when a daring rebel came at him with spear poised to kill, Cao Ren calmly lowered his shield just as the weapon struck. The sturdy thing didn't just block the weapon, it shattered the blade and shaft to tiny bits as the rebel pressed on, his eyes gaping wide in surprised. Poor guy must have shit himself before Cao Ren raised his blade and cut his throat open.

"Captain Chou, can I ask you something?" He asked. "It's about the guy Ding Yuan sent to help us."

"And who would that be sir?" Chou had not been present when the relief force camp marching in the camp, so he couldn't see who it's commander was.

"His name is Lu Bu, know anything about him?" The captain seemed shocked when he heard the name, as if it were some kind of taboo. "Captain?"

"Apologize sir, but I didn't think there was anyone alive today who didn't know about him?" Chou finally said.

"Where I come from we didn't get much news." Sasuke told him. _My god, I didn't think I had to resort to the dope's quick lie._

"Lu Bu is arguably the strongest warrior in China." Chou began, "He serves under Governor Ding Yuan, the Inspector of Bing Provence. However, from what I hear he's not known for his loyalty."

"What do you mean?"

"Rumor has it that he's served plenty of minor lords and officials over the years, and each one of them have ended up betraying him. Of course they never lived long enough to brag about it. So you probably guess that he's only loyal to himself."

"Can't say I really blame him for that, I'd do the same thing."

"Still though, no one is stupid enough to doubt his prowess in battle. Some soldiers admire his strength so much that they formed a small army around him. He probably doesn't care for it though."

"You're right, he doesn't care for it, or anything else for that matter." Sasuke leaned forward in his chair, dark eyes looking straight at the captain. "I looked into his eyes as he rode in. He wasn't looking directly at me per say, but I saw something in that gaze."

"What did you see?"

"Something...savage, untamed, a destructive force of nature. My friends were with me then, they saw the same thing. I tried not to show it, but I'm sure they noticed." He took a deep breath, the feeling he kept inside building up, ready to burst open from his chest like a volcano. "I was scared captain."

"Scared?"

"Yes, _scared!_ When I looked at him, I saw—no, I _felt_ just how powerful the man was. I just had to break away after he passed me by, because if I stayed near him any longer I'd go insane. I haven't been this terrified of anything since..."

"Since what sir?"

Sasuke fell silent then, the words suddenly dried up in his mouth. _I haven't been this terrified since I came across my brother again, and what he did to me with his Sharingan._ "Nothing, it's nothing. See that the men are ready, Cao Cao would want them to be." The captain nodded and turned to leave, but Sasuke stopped him before he walked out. "Captain."

Chou turned back to him, "Yes sir?"

"The conversation we just had, make sure it never leaves this tent." He ordered, "I don't Xiahou Dun mocking me about it"

"Understood sir, I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Good, you're dismissed." As the captain left him, Sasuke leaned back in his chair and took a few deep breathes. He closed his eyes and concentrated, reaching out to the cursed seal on his neck. The familiar, twisted sensation overcame him as the seal reacted, glowing a crimson light as it's markings slowly spread across his body, its dark powers flowing through his veins.

He smirked, the trepidation he felt earlier faded a bit, but it wasn't enough. He focused harder, calling on the full potential of the seal's power. _Come on, come on damn you..._

A flash pain struck him like a bolt of lighting, and he hissed as the muscles in his body locked up. The pain was too much, he deactivated the seal, the markings vanishing from his body. Sasuke heaved, taking a moment to collect himself. _I knew I couldn't do it._ He thought, recalling what happened to him.

It had been little over a month since Naruto and his make shift squad had brought him back to the village, beaten and barely conscious. He spent all of it in a hospital bed, the doctors and aids tending to his wounds. He had blacken out a few times during the process, so he could not say with clarity what was said or done. But even in his delirious state, he could make out the contempt that they all held for him now. He didn't blame them, not after what he nearly did.

Once he was fully healed, the hospital gave him leave, and a far too insistent one at that, to return home. As Sasuke walked out of the building, he was surprised to see both his teacher Kakashi and Tsunade waiting for him. Not that he expected a warm welcoming party or anything.

"_Sasuke, I hope understand the consequences of your actions." _Tsunade began, tone hardened, _"Planning to defect to an enemy village is a serious offense, one punishable by death or life in imprisonment. You should count yourself lucky that I sent your friends after you, rather then an ANBU team."_

He had nothing to say, weather he simply didn't care or felt guilty at the time, his head still hurt to much to remember.

"_Naruto told us about the form you took during your fight. Orochimaru's curse seals are far more dangerous than we thought then." _Kakashi said, _"For obvious reasons we took precautions with that."_ The Jounin stepped up beside his young student and pulled something out his pocket. It was a small mirror. He angled it just beside Sasuke's head, the seal caught in its reflection. "Take a look."

Sasuke eyed the reflection, he saw the seal on his neck and the black circle that his sensei had placed during the Chunin Exams still present as well. But something was different now, a large black X now sat atop the seal, its tips just touching the inside of the circular one. _"It's a suppressing seal of my own making, in case you're wondering."_ Tsunade spoke once again, _"The first one has clearly failed, but this one won't. You still have access to the curse seal's first stage level of power, but try to go beyond that, and that suppressing seal kicks in to stop it._

"_The entire village is against now after this. However, I've put a decree in not to lay a hand on you without my permission."_ She continued, _"You'll be barred from leaving the village or take part in missions until further notice. Kakashi will be keeping an eye on you, as well as ANBU whenever he's not with you. For now though, I suggest you go home and get some rest, you've been through enough already."_

"_I've had plenty of rest in the hospital." _He said sharply, _"Tell me, where's..."_

"_Naruto left the village a week ago with Jiraiya."_ Kakashi cut him off, _"After his battle with you, he'll most likely be off training to face Orochimaru's forces. And Sakura has been taken under Tsunade-Sama's guidance to become a Medic Nin. Until the team is back together again, you'll spent your time under my tutelage like before."_

And so it was, for the last two and a half years, that Sasuke continued training under his old sensei. sometimes he wondered what the rouge Sannin might have taught him had his defection succeeded, but as time went on, he looked back on the all the damage Orochimaru had caused, and the thought was pushed further and further back into his mind with disgust. He now realized that that man was not the way to go. On the rare occasions when he escaped both Kakashi and the ANBU teams' hawk like gazes for a few hours, he attempted to unleash the curse seal's second stage, just to experience the incredible power he held for a brief moment. But the suppressing seal worked, just like Tsunade said, and that path was blocked to him.

Finally, when the blonde dope had returned, the team was reformed and Sasuke was allowed to return to active duty once again. _And a little later, that old sage would show up and fling all three of us back in time after Orochimaru._ Sasuke thought, deadpan. _Had I know all this would happen, I' would've had a few choice words with the Hokage about cutting off my powers._

His thoughts went back to Lu Bu, and his nerves gave out on him once more._ I don't know a damn thing about this time period, but I just know that that guys gong to be an enemy one day. I need to get this suppressor off soon, because if I have to face him as I am now...he'll kill me._

* * *

Apart from the cooks, Sakura was the only occupant in the mess hall. Between surviving what transpired on the field and meeting the fearsome Lu Bu's inhuman gaze, she didn't realize how hungry she was until she returned to Sun Jian's camp, so she decided to get something to eat while she had time to spare.

She took a bite out of a meat bun and pondered on what would happen after the rebellion was put down. From what she heard, while Zhang Jiao was the main threat to the Han, he was by no means the only one instigating uprisings. Other lords across the country had taken up arms against the government, seizing vast tracks of land while the Imperials were focused on the Turbans. Undoubtedly more fighting would ensure, yet it would be the common folk who suffered. She pitted them most of all.

She remembered the village she had stayed in before meeting Sun Ce, it was a peaceful one, and the people there were happy and content despite the hardships all around them. She also remembered the bandits that the two of them had stopped then, but who could say that others would not band together and wreck havoc? _Is that the case, and that village is burned down now? All those people dead?_

She pushed the thought from her mind, she'd seen enough dead people as it is.

"My Lady, here you are." She looked up from her stupor and saw Zhou Yu taking a seat across from her. Sakura eyed the young warrior for a long moment, and found him to be quite the handsome gentleman, though he lacked the energetic and outgoing edge that she admired in Sun Ce, "I've heard a great many things about you from Sun Ce and Huang Gai, and so I wanted to get to know you better."

"Sun Ce-Kun has told me a lot about you as well." Sakura said, "He has great respect for you, you're almost like a brother to him."

"I like to think of ourselves as sworn brothers, we've been inseparable since childhood. You've been at his side throughout those whole campaign, if I may ask, what do you make of him?"

His question took Sakura by surprise, her cheeks burning a cherry red as her mind jumbled to find the words. "Well.." She began nervously, "H-he's passionate, brave, and one of the most honest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. He can be a little reckless at times, but he really cares about the people around him."

"He's indeed a great man and a good friend." Zhou Yu said, "And he's said that you are rather courageous yourself." The girl face turned even more red at that, and the young man chuckled at her expense. "Tell me my Lady, where do you hail from?"

"A small village to the north, we don't get much news from the rest of the country though." She said, remembering the quick lie Naruto told her earlier, "I was traveling with my friends because we wanted to see the rest of the land, but we got separated when the rebellion broke out, and I feared they were lost. When I heard about Sun Jian's reputation as a leader, I decided I wanted to join and do my part in stopping the Yellow Turbans. And I guess my friends thought the same thing when I saw them with the other forces."

"That's a coincidence, if I may say." The young mean leaned in and stared at her long and hard, a heavy tension falling suddenly on the girl's head, "Separated in the chaos, only to be reunited in the same place, but with three different armies."

_He's getting suspicious._ She thought dreadfully, perhaps Naruto's lie was not well thought out. _I knew it was only a matter of time, but I don't know what to say to make him believe me._ "Yes, quite the coincidence." She told him, sweat running down her forehead.

"This village most be something else, to have such warriors as you and your two friends, from what I've head about them at least." He said amusingly and leaned back. A soft sigh escaped the girl's lips. "If you'll excuse me, I have duties to see to."

Sakura nodded and watched as Zhou Yu rose and walked out of the mess hall. The talk was pleasant, but she was relieved it was over. _Perhaps I should talk to Sun Jian after this is over, but would he believe me?_ She'd proven herself to him time and again throughout the fight, but the enemy she really faced was much bigger than Zhang Jiao, or any of the other warlords across China. _I wonder what the others __would do? _Naruto would likely blab out the truth to his liege and hope he accepts it. Sasuke, on the other hand, would study his a bit more to see if he was capable of helping. Yet she faced a dead end on her part.

_Damn it, this is driving me nuts. _She looked down at her uneaten food, her appetite long gone. She rose from her seat and made her way out, thoughts jumbling with questions, but no real answers.

_I'm I still dead weight? Just standing behind my friends while they put their lives on the line._ She walked across the camp as soldiers rushed all around her, panic still hung in the air. _I thought training under Tsunade-Sama would make me a better Ninja, but after being here for so long, I don't feel any different. _A Medic Ninja must never engage in battle directly, for their sole purpose was to aid their teammates, that is what the Hokage had often told her during training. _Maybe I'm meant to stay behind..._

So caught up in her worries that she didn't notice someone standing in her way until she walked right into him. The pink haired girl stumbled back a bit, but quickly regained her balance and looked to whoever she walked into. "I'm sorry, I didn't see where I was going."

"No harm done youngster." She had walked right into the aged warriors Huang Gai, a pleasant smirk across his face as he looked down on Sakura. "You seemed troubled. Something on your mind?"

"I've just been thinking about a lot of things is all." She said, "Hey Huang Gai, what do you make of me?"

The veteran coked an eyebrow at that, "If you're looking for a good judge of character, you've asked the wrong person. But I say you're a girl with a good heart, and plenty of punch to go with it." His comment earned him a chuckle from Sakura. "Why do you ask?"

"When I was younger, I've always felt useless to everybody else back home." Sakura said, darting her eyes to her feet, "Actually that's pretty much how it was. Whenever something serious faced us, my friends would always be at the forefront while I stayed behind their backs doing nothing. I want to help, but after what happened out there, I really don't think I have what it takes."

Huang Gai stared at her, taking in every word, "I see, you sound just like my Lord's son."

"Sun Ce?"

"His second son, Master Sun Quan. Like you, he often sees himself as nothing more than a spectator, watching his father and brother from the sidelines. He has potential to be a great man, but his doubts hamper him greatly." He placed hand on her shoulder, and Sakura was surprised to find out how gentle the man could be, "Listen Sakura, some people, while capable of many things, just need a bit of push to get them going. You're strong, but you have your doubts about your true strength. But just remember that there's no shame in seeking support from others, because good, trustworthy people are always a welcomed asset."

Sakura mulled over his words, and a fire started to light up at her core. She did have people back home who supported her: Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Tsunade, and the rest of her friends back home. But not just them, she had others here as well: Sun Jian, Huang Gai, Zhou Yu...

_And Sun Ce-Kun_. "Thank you Huang Gai, I really needed to here that."

The old warrior grinned, "Not a problem little lady, now perhaps you should report to Master Sun Ce before He Jin orders us to march to our deaths."

"Yes sir!" She said happily and sprinted off, her heart rid of it's earlier worries, and in its place was an ever swelling sense of purpose, her place in world was set before her. _Tsunade-Sama, I'll still take what you've taught me to heart, but I need to find my own path, even if it means joining the fight myself!_

* * *

With their report to He Jin complete, the three Sound Ninjas left the Han camp unawares, traveling to a small village just beyond the outskirts of the battlefield. The people who once called it home had long since fled, fearing raids from either Turbans or Imperials. The fields were stripped barred, a handful of cattle that could not be saved slaughtered, the remains left to rot in the sun, and houses burned and crumbling, save for one.

It was this house that the trio made their way to. The windows were boarded up, so seeing inside was impossible, but the door had been left opened slightly, a faint light glowing from inside Dosu moved up and pulled the door back, following his teammates in as he closed it behind them.

The room was spacious, a few cupboards line up against the wall, and in the middle of the room was a table with a single lit candle. Standing before the three was a young male figure with short, brown hair who had his back to the Ninjas, dressed in a simple arming jacket and breeches with a dark cloak thrown over it. "You're late," He said coldly as they approached. "And I hope you three weren't followed."

"Not at all sir," Dosu answered, "We made our reports to He Jin and came here, just as planned. I take it you saw the light show earlier?"

"I did, unexpected as it was." The man said, "It took this long to report back to me, were you caught up in the confusion?"

"Not really," Zaku said, a pleased smirk on his face, "We were well behind enemy line when the sorcery hit."

"Behind enemy lines? Why?" The young man asked.

"We got bored with watching those leaf punks, so we figured we'd kill a little time, not to mention a few Turbans." Zaku laughed, "You should have seen the look on this one guy's-" Before he could finish, the figure whipped around with unexpected speed and backhanded the young Shinobi, the force of the blow sent him crashing into a cupboard. Dosu and Kin gaped in surprise as their overseer turned on them, eyes showing a contained, yet bigoted fury.

"You _imbeciles_! If those warriors from the leaf caught even one witness to your actions, all our efforts would be lost!" He said, "Dosu, Lord Orochimaru said you were the more sensible one of the team. I expected you to have better control of your impulses."

Dosu's one eye widened, sweat forming inside his helmet, "We left no witness to our actions, the Konoha team will never know we were there." He bowed at the waist instantly, Kin following suit seconds later, "Please forgive our impertinence, Sima Shi-San."

The sound of broken wood drew the threes' attention to the wall as Zaku got back to his feet. He looked up to Sima Shi, a menacing glint in his gaze, a bruise across his cheek, "You son of a bitch!" He growled as he brought a hand up to his superior.

"Zaku!" Kin shouted.

A blur passed the two stunned Ninjas by, and within a matter of seconds Zaku was pressed up against the wall by Sima Shi, a fine crafted rapier clutched in his hands, it's tip dug into the boy's right shoulder. "Since no one lives to tell the tale, I suppose I can over look your mistake for now." He told them all. "But you are to simply keep watch until I say otherwise. Understood?"

He looked to Dosu and Kin, who quickly nodded before he turned back to Zaku who, reluctantly, did so as well. "Good," Sima Shi then pulled his blade out from the Sound Ninja, letting Zaku slump to the ground, blood trickling down his arm. "What was your report to Lord He Jin?"

"We found a path through the mountains that leads right to the heart of Zhang Jiao's camp, if they go that way, the Imperials could catch him off guard and kill him." Kin said. "I don't understand, how come we couldn't just recruit the guy, he's got the power and numbers we can use, I don't see the point in wasting him now."

"Zhang Jiao's an old fool, he believe the gods are on his side, and has no forethought of strategy. He was finished as soon as he rose in revolt." Sima Shi said, "Beside, there could be other warlords who could prove more useful to our cause."

"Anyone in particular?" Dosu asked.

"A few, but I will let father and Lord Orochimaru decide that." The young Sima wiped the blood from his rapier, returning the blade it the sheath beneath his cloak. "Return to He Jin before you are missed. And this time, just _watch_."

With a final bow, Dosu and Kin made for the door while Zaku followed behind them. He stopped beside Sima Shi and grunted, "I still say we should just kill them and be done with it."

Sima Shi smirked, "Don't worry about them, they can do nothing to stop us. They'll be deposed of at our leisure "

* * *

**Preview:**

**Sakura:** Naruto, Sasuke-Kun, watch out for Zhang Jiao and his brothers, their magic is a lot stronger than before.

**Sasuke:** Please, the weapon may be a threat, but they use nothing but cheap tricks.

**Naruto:** That's right, well show what our _magic _can do!_ Dattebayo_!

**Next Time:** Battle the Great Teacher!

**Sasuke:** Here I come you bastard!

**Naruto: **We're going to crush you.

**Sakura:** God, don't you two ever listen?

* * *

**Last Words from the Shogun:**

Thirteen, thirteen fucking pages for this chapter. For me that's a lot, considering how fast I get these done. Anyway, this was originally going to be the chapter that ends the fight with the Yellow Turbans, but Team Seven's scenes turned to be a lot more thought out than I had planned, so I'll save the fight for next chapter.

Also, as you can guess from Sasuke's flashback, I had Naruto win their fight in the Valley of the End. I wrote Sasuke as one of the protagonist in the original story, and I just wanted to be consistent in that regard. Besides, I don't think Sai would have been well liked by most of the Wei officers.

So, enjoy the chapter and review...

Oh, and: WARRIORS OROCHI 3 IS ONE WEEK AWAY! FUCK YEAH!


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